SCOLOPACIDjE. 369 



tainly more resembles the two first- mentioned 

 species of the Scolopacidae than it does any of the 

 Ardeidae. 



Family SCOLOPACID.E. 



The Scolopacidse, the family of Waders at which 

 we have now arrived, is numerous in British spe- 

 cies, containing as many as thirty-six, out of which 

 I have been able to include as many as twenty-one 

 amongst the Birds of Somerset. 



COMMON CURLEW, Numenius arquata. The Com- 

 mon Curlew, the first of the family that claims our 

 attention, is numerous all along our coast during 

 the winter ; but the greater part, if not all, of them 

 leave us in the summer : a few, however, remain to 

 breed in the wild hill country in the West around 

 Dunkerry Beacon and Exmoor. On the mud about 

 Burnham and the mouth of the Parret very large 

 flocks of Curlews collect in the winter; and an occa- 

 sional shot may be had at them as they are driven 

 by the rising tide from the soft mud towards the 

 firmer ground ; but they are very wild, and anyone 

 wishing for a shot must conceal himself, long before 

 high water, near a likely spot, and lie perfectly still 

 till the birds come within range. When they are 

 actually driven off the mud by the tide they gene- 

 rally retire for a short distance inland to the neigh- 

 bouring turnip-fields and water-meadows ; a few, 



