106 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



long, the latter measuring 4 to 4J inches, and slightly 

 up-turned. Total length 16 inches, wing 9 inches; 

 female rather the larger. All the chestnut colour is 

 lost in winter plumage, and the dark tints generally 

 are softened. 



The food consists of insects, worms, Crustacea, etc. 

 Faber says 'im ventriculo Wasserpfianzen,' but this 

 is quite contrary to the general experience. 



Numenius arquata (Linn.). Curlew. 



Native names: 'Spoi,' ' Stori Spoi.' 



A rare straggler in autumn. Faber obtained the 

 first historical specimen at Reykjavik on September 6, 

 1819. Since then, a large flock, as Herra Grondal 

 states, visited the south coast in the autumn of 1875, 

 but did not stay long. One at least was killed, and 

 Herra Grondal obtained a skin (VerzeicJmiss, p. 361). 

 In Shyrsla he also mentions that a flock visited 

 'Alftanes in 1876, from which one was obtained for 

 the Reykjavik Museum. It is singular that he does 

 not mention this latter occurrence in the VerzeicJmiss, 

 published in 1886. Possibly the two occurrences are 

 the same, and the latter date the correct one. Nielsen 

 also gives an occurrence (Ornis, 1887, p. 157) without 

 date or locality, which may again refer to the same. 



The Curlew has never been known to breed in 

 Iceland, nor is it particularly likely to do so. It is 

 a large edition of the Whimbrel, without the two 

 broad sooty stripes on the crown. Length 21 to 26 



