WHIMBREL BLACK TEEN. 123 



food. Worms, snails, spiders, berries, and insects when 

 inland ; when on the seashore, various small marine creatures, 

 Crustacea, &c. 



Nest. April or May. One brood. 



Site. On the ground in a slight hollow, more or less sheltered 

 by a bunch of heather or tuft of grass. 



Materials. A few grasses or leaves. 



Eggs. Four. Olive-green, blotched and spotted with dark 

 greenish and reddish brown and grey. Pyriform shape. 



WHIMBREL (Numenius phceopus). 



A well-distributed though not common visitor to our shores 

 in spring and autumn. Breeds only on the Shetlands and 

 Orkneys. 



Haunts. Mountainous and moorland districts. 



Observation. In general appearance like a lesser Curlew. 



Plumage. Crown of head dark brown, with broad pale 

 streak down middle ; upper parts like last, but darker ; axillaries 

 white, barred with brown ; under parts like last. Bill decurved 

 as last, black at tip, yellowish at base. Legs and feet lead- 

 colour. Length 17 in. Female, rather larger. In winter, 

 paler below ; chest and neck only striped, not spotted as in 

 summer. Young : well spotted above with huffish white ; rump 

 streaked ; axillaries slightly barred. Nestling : buffish white 

 above and below, with two dark stripes aloDg crown, and black 

 markings and mottlings on back. 



Language. A clear short whistle, repeated seven or eight 

 times in succession, like " tetty." 



Habits. Generally much like the last. 



Food. Generally much like the last. 



Nest. May or June. One brood. 



Site. In slight depression in the ground, sheltered by heather 

 or coarse grass. 



Materials. A few heather-stalks, grasses, or leaves. 



Eggs. Four. Pale olive-green, spotted and blotched with 

 reddish brown; much like the Curlew's, but smaller. 



OEDER GAVI/E. 



Family LARID&. 



Subfamily STERNIN^E. 



BLACK TEEN (Hydrochelidon nigra). 



Once a breeding species ; now a passing visitor on spring and 

 autumn migrations chiefly to our eastern and southern coasts 

 and inland waters. 



