152 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



brown eyes, and peculiar cry. The breast is much lighter 

 than the rest of the plumage, and more spotted, the under- 

 parts as well as just above the tail being almost white. 

 The female is somewhat larger than the male. 



Buckland, in his " Curiosities of Natural History," 

 says : " The sad, wailing cry of these birds while on the 

 wing in the dark, still nights of winter, resembling the 

 moans of wandering spirits, is believed in some parts of 



THE CURLEW. 



England to be a death-warning, and called the cry of the 

 seven whistlers : " 



" The curlew screamed above : 

 She heard the scream with a sickening heart, 

 Much boding of her love." 



In Scotland the bird goes by the name of the Whaup, 

 and is considered very uncanny. Sir Walter Scott, in " The 

 Black Dwarf," makes Hobbie Elliott say, " What needs I 

 care for Mucklestane Muir ony mair than ye do yoursel', 

 Earnscliff? To be sure they say there's a sort of worri- 

 cows and lang-nebbit things about the land ; but what need 

 I care for them ? " the lang-nebbit things being the 



