On Moorlands and Roughs. 7.1 



most widely dispersed on the Yorkshire moors, the 

 remaining four or five are rarer, more local, or absent 

 altogether. The peculiar drumming or bleating of 

 the Snipe is one of the most characteristic of avine 

 sounds upon these moors in spring; the quavering 

 whistle (uttered always, or nearly so, whilst the bird 

 is upon the ground), or the better known and some- 

 what mournful curlee (heard whilst the bird is career- 

 ing to and fro in mid-air) of the Curlew is little, if 

 any, less familiar. On the Hebridean moors, as well 

 as on those of Orkney and Shetland, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the sea, the Whimbrel breeds sparingly. 

 It is extremely local, but its habits and economy 

 generally are very similar to those of the larger and 

 better known Curlew. It differs, however, in its 

 migrations, and is a summer visitor only to the 

 British Islands, the greater number passing over 

 them to still more northern breeding grounds in the 

 Faroes, Iceland, and elsewhere. The Dunlin, not- 

 withstanding the fact that it nests on some of our 

 south-western uplands, finds its favourite breeding 

 grounds on more northern moors up to the Orkneys 

 and the Shetlands. Here again we have a species 

 donning a jet-black belly for the nuptial season. It 

 also displays a very decided preference for the 

 swampy portions of the moors in which to perform 

 its nesting duties. Then there are the two species 

 of Totani, the one easily distinguished by its orange- 



