GREAT CURLEW AND WHIMBREL 69 



Curlews have been the means of my exploring 

 wild places ; where, if I never shot a Curlew all the 

 day, I did other birds, just for specimens, and I 

 observed far more. If there is one bird one may 

 respect for being wide-awake, it is the Curlew. 



The Whimbrel or May-bird is the Jack Curlew of 

 the shore-shooters. The female resembles the male 

 in colour, but she is two inches larger than he. 

 These birds, like their larger relatives the Common 

 Curlews, vary in size, so that it is best to give in all 

 cases the ordinary measurements. Whimbrels are 

 seen about the coast-line in May, and for this reason 

 they are in some places called May-fowl. In early 

 summer, and in autumn too, they are met with, 

 previous to their departure. The Whimbrel has 

 been known to breed in Shetland, leaving again 

 when the season is over. My own personal obser- 

 vations of him have been made from the deck of a 

 vessel, drifting down mid channel in a dead calm, 

 when the tide was at its lowest ebb. There was not 

 the least need to use glasses, we were quite near 

 enough for any purpose, well within gun-shot. 



Had the boat been brought over for a shot, the 

 fowl would not have been gathered, for no one 

 would have ventured there. The whole length of 

 that slub-flat, left bare at ebb tide, was full of slush- 

 mud quakes that a boat oar would not fathom. The 

 fowl knew they were safe when the tide was out, 

 so they frequented the slub there in considerable 

 numbers. Bright-looking creatures they are, as they 

 run and dabble about ; when on the wing the white 



