434 Mr. A. G. More on the Distribution of Birds 



scribed by Montagu as that of the Water-Rail belonged to this 

 species (Hist. B. B. iv. p. 524). 



Platalea leucorodia [Linn.). Spoonbill. 

 Province [IV.]. 

 Subprovince (10)^ (11). 

 Lat. 52°-53°. " Germanic " type. Not in Ireland. 



The little that is known of the Spoonbill having formerly bred 

 in England is contained in the record of Sir Thomas Browne, 

 who says : — " The platea or shovelard which build upon the 

 tops of high trees. They have formerly built in the Hernery, at 

 Claxton and Reedham [Norfolk] ; now at Trimley in Suffolk " 

 {Works, Wilkin's Ed. vol. iv. pp. 315, 316). This was written 

 about two hundred years ago, the author having died in 1682. 



NuMENius ARQUATUS {Lath.). Curlew. 

 Provinces I. II. ?, V.-VIII. IX. ?, X.-XVIII. 

 Subprovinces i, i, 4?, 15-18, 20, 21 ?, 22-35, 37-38. 

 Lat. 50°-61°. " Scottish " type, or Northern. 



Bare in the south during summer, though a few pairs are re- 

 corded as breeding in Cornwall and Devonshire. 



Mr. H. Graves informs me that the Curlew "breeds regularly 

 near Charminster in Dorset, laying its eggs in the furrows of the 

 fallow-land ;" but I suspect that in this locality, and also in Wilt- 

 shire, the Stone-Curlew {(Edicnemus crepitans) has been mistaken 

 for Numenius arquatus. 



Further north there are one or two breeding-stations in Shrop- 

 shire, and Mr. 0. Salvin finds the nest in Derbyshire. 



The Curlew breeds in North and South Wales, and from 

 Yorkshire northwards becomes more numerous, extending as far 

 north as the Shetland Islands; but we learn from Macgilli- 

 vray that it does not breed in the Outer Hebrides. 



Numenius PHiEOPUs {Lath.). Whimbrel. 

 Provinces X. ? XVII. XVIII. 

 Subprovinces 23 ?, 35, 37, 38. 

 Lat. 54° or 58°-61°. " Scottish " type. Not in Ireland. 



Mr. Thomas Gough, of Kendal, tells me that the nest of the 

 Whimbrel has been recently found on the mountains of York- 



