THE WHIMBREL 



The voice of the Whimbrel is, however, quite distinct, the birds having, according 

 to the late Lord Lilford, acquired the local name of " Seven-whistlers " owing to 

 their peculiar cry of seven distinct notes. 



THE ESKIMO CURLEW. 



Numenius borealis (J. R. Forster). 

 Plate 69. 



The Eskimo Curlew, a native of America, and now supposed to be almost 

 extinct, has been obtained about eight times in our islands, the first in Kincardine- 

 shire in September 1855, and the last on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, in September 1887. 



This species breeds in Arctic America, whence it migrates in autumn to spend 

 the winter in South America. 



I have copied the following notes on its habits from Dresser's Birds of Europe, 

 vol. viii.: "Audubon, who met with this Curlew in numbers in Labrador, writes 

 that, ' wherever there was a spot that seemed likely to afford a good supply of food, 

 there the Curlews abounded, and were easily approached. By the 12th of August, 

 however, they had all left the country. In Labrador they feed on what the fisher- 

 men call the Curlew-berry {crow-berry f\ a small black fruit growing on a creeping 

 shrub not more than an inch or two in height, and so abundant that patches of 

 several acres covered the rocks here and there. When the birds were in search 

 of these feeding-grounds they flew in close masses, sometimes high, at other times 

 low, but always with remarkable speed, and performing beautiful evolutions in the 

 air. . . . While on the wing they emitted an oft-repeated whistling note ; but the 

 moment they alighted they became silent.' " 



In his Manual of Palczarctic Birds, Dresser states that the four eggs "vary 

 from light greenish to dark olivaceous in ground-colour, and marked with purplish- 

 brown shell-markings and dark umber-brown surface spots and blotches." 



The size of the Eskimo Curlew is much less than that of our common species, 

 while the bill is proportionately shorter. 



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