80 NATURAL HISTORY [Birds. 



GENUS XFII. THE CURLEW. 



Gen. Char.-~- Bill slender, long, incurvated : face covered with feathers; nostrils 

 linear, longitudinal near the base ; tongue short, and sharp-pointed ; toes con- 

 nected, as far as the first joint, by a membrane. 



Species 1. The Curlew. 



Wil. Orn. 294. Raii Syn. AD. 103. Scolopax Arquata, Lin, Sys. 242. Brit. 

 Zool. 346. tab. 8. Numenius, sive Arquata, Sib. Scot. 18. tab. 12. Jig. 1. 

 Ore. Major, Stock-Whap ; minor, Little-Whap. 



THE Curlew is one of the waders which is most frequent 

 about these shores ; found all round the country in flocks ; 

 builds in all our most retired hills, such as Hoy, Walls, the 

 hills of Harra, Sic. Sec. ; lays very large eggs ; an early breeder, 

 like most of the waders, the brood on the wing in July. 



The larger curlew, called here Stock-Whap, differs some- 

 thing in its colours from the lesser ; the head and neck are 

 much browner, whereas in the little one they are grayish and 

 spotted ; the bill, feet, and in other respects they agree, ex- 

 cept the size ; but whether this is sufficient to constitute a 

 specific difference I much doubt, though they are always dis- 

 tinguished by our rural philosophers, but they commonly ex- 

 amine by the bulk ; 



For what is worth in any thing, 

 But just as much as it can bring ! 



