y 



THE CUELEW. 



Numenius arquctus. — Pennant. 

 Scolopax arquata. 



ATHER a singular-looking bird 

 is the Curlew, or, as it is com- 

 monly called in Scotland, 

 the "Whajip, or Whaap ; being 

 possessed of very long legs and 

 an unusually long curved bill. 

 It belongs to the Grallatorial, 

 or Wading family, and is well 

 known on nearly every part of 

 the British coasts. Its fa- 

 vourite resorts are the seashore, 

 where the ebb-tide uncovers 

 large surfaces of sandy flats, 

 and it is also frequently seen 

 on the muddy banks of tidal 

 rivers. When feeding on the 

 seashore, the Curlew feeds upon 

 small Crustacea, marine insects- 

 and the worms that abound to 

 such places ; but as soon as the 

 flat portions of the shore are 

 covered by the advancing tide, 

 the birds immediately change 

 their feeding planes for the 



