BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 133 



catcher, of which several pairs were breeding there 

 at the time, for a young Curlew ; his description of 

 the cry of the old birds as they flew round was 

 much more like that of the Oystercatcher than the 

 Curlew. All of the boatmen also, with whom I have 

 been about at various times, agree that the Curlews 

 do not breed in the Islands, though they are quite 

 aware that they remain throughout the year, and 

 as many of them, in spite of the Guernsey Bird Act, 

 are great robbers of the eggs of the Gulls, Puffins, 

 and Oystercatchers, all of which they know well, 

 they would hardly miss such a fine mouthful as the 

 egg of the Curlew if it was to be found. No doubt 

 the number of Curlews is largely increased in the 

 autumn by migratory visitors, which remain 

 throughout the winter and depart again in the 

 spring : though numerous during autumn and 

 winter, they are very wild and wary, and, as every- 

 where else where I have had any experience of 

 Curlews at that time of year, very difficult to get a 

 shot at ; consequently very few find their way into 

 the market. 



The Curlew is mentioned in Professor Ansted's 

 list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey and 

 Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum. 



111. WHIMBREL. Numenias phceopus, Linnaeus. 

 French, " Courlis corlieu." A good many Whimbrel 

 visit all the Islands during the spring migration, and 



