BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 419 
but visitants taking the place of our locally-bred birds, 
which in turn have migrated to winter-quarters farther 
south. " The species is well known on passage throughout 
central and southern Europe, ranging as far west as the 
Canaries and Azores ; while it winters in Africa from the 
Mediterranean to Damara-land and Natal, and visits 
Madagascar."* In severe winters, as in 1878-1879, these 
birds become emaciated and thin, and are occasionally 
picked up on our coast ; and in August, 1904, so many 
Curlews were found dead in their spring -quarters as to 
lead to the supposition that some unknown disease had 
been rife among them. 
During its life on the shore the chief food of the Curlew 
consists of crustaceans and sand-worms, and its flesh at this 
time cannot be recommended to a cultivated palate. 
An old proverb says that " to kiU seven Curlews is the 
work of a lifetime," the species being one of the most wary 
of our shore-birds. As an alert sentry it often gives warning 
to the geese and other wild fowl of the approach of the 
gunner, though considerably tamer and quite easily " called " 
to the gun before leaving its inland breeding-places. 
A white Curlew was observed at the head of Shinnel Water 
in the spring of 1904, and although shot at more than once, 
it has annually visited the same spot. When I saw the 
bird on June 6th, 1910, and watched it for a long time 
at close range through my field-glasses, it appeared to be 
pure white, with flesh-coloured legs and bill. The shepherds 
on the beat tell me it comes and goes at about the same 
time as the other Curlews, and it always returns to within 
half a mile of the same place. They also say that at first 
it was party-coloured, but has annually become more white ; 
certainly when I saw it, it was apparently spotless. 
Both the Statistical Accounts of Scotland have many 
references to the local abundance of this species, whose 
habits do not seem to have altered, though possibly its 
numbers may be said to have increased. 
* Man. Brit. Birds, 1899, p. 628. 
DD 2 
