242, THE ZOOLOGIST. 
seen to spring and fly away from you some two hundred or three 
hundred yards off. She, too, circles around, and both birds 
float high in air, and alight at various points north, east, south, 
or west in the hollow, or on the surrounding slopes. The float- 
ing flight, with slightly down-curved wings, head gracefully 
poised and turning from side to side, is certainly well worthy of 
admiration; but never did I observe that they exercised that 
alternate soaring upwards with heavy flappings of the wings in 
silence, and the dipping descent, accompanied by the tremulous, 
weird cry so characteristic of their bigger brother, the Curlew, 
when at peace with all surroundings. These phases of flicht of 
the Whimbrels are counterparts of the festive flights of the 
Grey and Golden Plovers we have described elsewhere (‘ Ibis,’ 
1876). 
When both birds are on the move, and if the eggs be expected, 
it is of course desirable, after identifying the hen by her actions, 
never to lose sight of her. But it should be remembered that 
after the young are hatched off the parent birds reverse or 
exchange their habits at the nesting-place, as our experiences 
have proved in the case of Grey Plovers and other species, and 
as proved by dissection of such birds as are shot for identification 
purposes. Indeed, those peculiarities which are found applicable 
to the one sex before hatching apply to the other sex after the 
young are freed from the shells. How far the male Whimbrel 
assists in incubation I am not aware, but it is well known that 
the male birds of other species do so, often to quite a large 
extent, as, for instance, Red-necked Phalaropes, Black Guille- 
mots (male shot with the hatching-spot on the belly, and also 
taken by hand on the eggs), and many others. This being the 
case, the difficulties attendant upon watching birds of species 
where little or no difference exists in plumage between the sexes 
become accentuated. 
When the eggs are not yet hatched off, and the female is 
incubating, the following are some of the more noticeable 
actions when both birds are off the nest: The hen usually alights 
in a depression, or behind a hummock or ridge—even at times 
in a deep peat-hag—and then, running rapidly, head down if 
necessary for concealment, pops up some distance off, and 
remains perfectly still and silent. The male, on the other hand, 
