CURLEW AND WHIMBREL 533 



end the syllables must be almost run together, losing all of the first 

 except the "g," and at no time sounding the "ch" too hard, but 

 rather as in the Scottish " loch." I am aware that my rendering of 

 this note differs considerably from some published formulae, the 

 majority of which are variants of the syllables "wi-wi mw-i-uriw" etc. 

 Mr. Selous says the note is first a melancholy " too-ee too-ee too-ee," 

 then a much louder and sharper "wi-wi, wi-wi, wi-wi" (the "i" as in 

 with). 1 Seebohm describes two distinct notes at the nest ; a call-note 

 " ker-lee " other variants of this are " cour-lie " or " cour-lieu" from 

 which the species gets its name and a note which he renders as " wiw- 

 i-wiw-i-wiw" and which he states is unquestionably the alarm-note. 2 

 On the other hand, it has been stated that the quivering whistle 

 which the birds utter as they fly towards an intruder on their nesting- 

 grounds is not merely a warning-note, as it is also freely uttered during 

 the soaring flight. 3 Dr. Heatherley, while likening the trilling song to 

 "jodelling on a flute," says (in litt.) that when in great alarm e.g. 

 when their young are endangered the bird's cry is " whi shishi." 



The apparent discrepancy of these various renderings is, I think, 

 due to the probability that the spring song is a modification of the 

 call and alarm-notes, and fine discrimination is needed to separate 

 them. Mr. Owen, who has for many years been familiar with the 

 curlew in Radnorshire, gives me (in litt.) an entirely independent 

 rendering of the alarm-note uttered angrily by the birds while they 

 fly over the head of an intruder when they have young, as "guck, guck, 

 guck, guck." A similar alarm-note is used earlier in the season, but 

 uttered far more quietly. 



The winter call-note of the curlew is, in my opinion, best expressed 

 by Mr. Patterson as a mellow " quoi, quoi." 4 It may correspond with 

 "whee-ou whee-ou" or "wha-up" renderings given by Mr. Harting. 5 

 Mr. Patterson states that he has found it possible to judge by its cry 

 how a curlew is employed. He distinguishes notes signifying alarm, 



1 Bird Watching, p. 141. 2 Seebohm, British Birds, iii. p. 96. 



3 Ussher and Warren, Birds of Ireland, p. 309. 



4 Nature in Eastern Norfolk, p. 240. 5 Birds of Middlesex. 



VOL. III. 3 Z 



