SCOLOPACIDiE — THE SNIPE FAMILY — NUMENIUS. 
323 
superciliary stripe above it ; remainder of the head, neck, and lower parts generally, bully white, 
the chin and throat, abdomen, thighs, and anal region, more nearly white and immaculate ; cheeks, 
neck (all round), jugulum, and breast, distinctly streaked with brown ; sides irregularly marked 
with the same ; axillars white, barred with brown. Back and wings grayish brown, irregularly 
spotted with lighter ; primaries dusky, the inner quills slightly spotted. Entire rump immaculate 
white ; upper tail-coverts white, barred with brown. Tail brownish gray, barred with dusky, and 
tipped with white. 
Wing, 9.30-10.50 ; culmen, 3.00-3.60 ; tarsus, 2.30-2.50 ; middle toe, 1.40. 
This species bears a strong superficial resemblance to N. Hudsonicus, but may be immediately 
distinguished by the pure white, unspotted, rump. 
The “Whimbrel,” “Whimbrel Curlew,” “ Half-Curlew,” or “ Jack Curlew” — as it 
is variously called in different parts of Great Britain — is of occasional occurrence in 
Greenland, and claims a place in our fauna exclusively on that ground. It is found 
throughout Northern Europe and Asia in its breeding-season, and during the re- 
mainder of the year is of uncertain appearance in various portions of the Old World, 
including Japan and other islands. In all respects, of plumage, haunts, habits, and 
food, the Whimbrel very closely resembles the Common European Curlew, but is 
much smaller in size, and nowhere occurs in such numbers. It is met with occasion- 
ally on the shores of Great Britain during the winter, but is much more plentiful 
there in May, and again in September. The larger portion of these birds are migra- 
tory, either on their way to more northern regions, where they breed, or returning 
from the north with their young brood. Only a few breed within the limits of Great 
Britain, and these almost exclusively in the islands north of Scotland. 
According to Thompson this bird is only seen in Ireland in the spring and in the 
autumn, and at these periods it is also common on the Grampians and in other ele- 
vated districts of Scotland. Mr. Selby mentions meeting with this species in the 
summer of 1834 on the margin of Loch Shin, in Sutlierlandsliire. Mr. Salmon found 
it breeding among the Orkney Islands, and states that it nests very early, all its 
eggs having been hatched by the 3d of June. Yarrell states, on the authority of 
Dr. Fleming, that this bird also breeds in Shetland, where it is known as the “ Tang- 
whacp,” and that the nests are placed on exposed parts of the heath. Mr. Hewitson 
also found it breeding on two of the Shetland Islands, Yell and Hascosea — where, 
however, it is rapidly decreasing in numbers. Mr. Dunn, who has several times 
visited both the Orkney and the Shetland Islands, informed Mr. Yarrell that while 
the Curlew and the Whimbrel do not associate together, he has found their nests 
within a gunshot of each other, and that the latter leave those islands as soon as the 
breeding-season is over. 
The Whimbrel is said to feed on insects and worms, and their note to resemble the 
syllables telly -telly -tet, rapidly enunciated. On the continent of Europe, and during 
the breeding-season, this bird is found throughout Denmark, Scandinavia, and Russia. 
Mr. Hewitson met with it occasionally in the western part of Norway, and Mr. 
Dunn informed Mr. Yarrell that a few breed in Lapland as high as latitude 05°. It 
is also a regular summer visitor to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. 
It is not known to breed on the southern coasts of England, yet small Hocks have 
been recorded by Mr. Knox as occurring in Sussex in the months of May and June. 
During the winter the Whimbrel is known to extend its migrations as far south as 
Madeira, and in its journeyings it occurs in Holland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, 
and in all the various islands of the Mediterranean. It is more common in Holland 
than in any other country. It was found by Menefries, a Russian naturalist, on the 
borders of streams in the region of the Caucasus. It has been met with in various 
