THE WHIMBREL. 289 



gathered hundreds in a few minutes, and this shell constitutes the 

 chief food of the Whimbrel during its stay on the islands, ex- 

 tending over a period of three or four weeks sometimes longer, 

 as I have procured birds that were killed in June. The flocks, 

 as a rule, depart after their temporary sojourn about the last 

 of the month, and do not return, except as very rare stragglers, 

 until the first of May following. Writing from lona, Mr Graham 

 states that the Whimbrel only visits that island in May, arriving 

 in very large flocks about the first, and remaining until the very 

 last of the month, after which they entirely disappear, and are 

 seen no more for the rest of the year, except as single stragglers. 

 They are then very tame and unsuspicious. My friend thus de- 

 scribes its arrival : " When the wintry storms have at last done 

 roaring, and the sea has subsided into peaceful calm, when the air 

 is genial, and the sky is blue, then the unusual and peculiar cry 

 of the Whimbrel announces the fact that summer is nigh. Its 

 call consists of several rapidly repeated, short and clear whistles, 

 uttered about seven times in rapid succession; whence its name 

 of seven whistler has been derived. This cry is heard as the flocks 

 are flying to and fro high in the air, before alighting on the grass - 

 covered sandy levels which skirt a considerable portion of the 

 shores of lona, and are at this time of the year enamelled with 

 wild hyacinths, purple orchis, and other wild flowers. Here a 

 flock of some fifty of these long legged birds, scattered over the 

 bright green turf, forms a very alluring sight, and their comparative 

 heedlessness makes them an easy prey to one accustomed to cir- 

 cumvent the timid and cunning curlew. They do not touch here 

 on their autumnal migration." 



The total absence of these birds in many of the outer islands, at 

 a time when one would expect to see them on their return, has 

 been a frequent subject of remark. On the island of Islay, 

 however, as I have been informed by Mr Elwes, they are found in 

 flocks about Loch Indall during the winter and spring, which shows 

 that a few, at least, come south by the same route. I have seen 

 one or two stray Whimbrels in the Clyde estuary early in August, 

 along with small troops of dunlins, back at that season from 

 their breeding haunts on the moors. 



The plate represents a small group of these birds at one of their 

 well-known haunts in the Sound of Harris the view including 

 the islands of Pabbay and Berneray in the distance. 



