WHIMBREL. 
277 
pearing chiefly on our shores in spring-, autumn, 
and winter, or more inland, as a casual passenger, 
during- its passage to or from its breeding sta- 
tions. On the shores of the north of England and 
south of Scotland, they are commonly to he met 
with in autumn or winter, in small parties, and 
are at once betrayed, among a flock of Curlews, by 
their peculiar note. According to several autho- 
rities,* they breed in the Orkneys and in some 
of the Shetland Islands, and they were seen in 
Sutherlandshire, on the banks of Lochshin, in 
June, hut neither nest nor eggs were discovered. 
We once shot a pair of Whimbrels on a salt marsh, 
on the Ross in Kirkcudbrightshire, in June, which 
appeared as if breeding, though no nest could be 
found. In Ireland, Mr. Thompson states that it 
is “ a regular spring visitant in passage north- 
ward, and returns in autumn in much smaller 
numbers.”-) - In Europe, it is found in the more 
northern parts. Out of Europe, Temminck gives 
India to it, as do also Messrs. Jerdan and Elliot, 
the latter stating that it is “ found everywhere 
along the sea shore and mouths of large rivers.” 
Mr. Gould states Himalaya as a locality ; and it is 
probably found in North Africa. 
In the colouring and marking of the plumage, 
the Whimbrel very closely resembles the Curlew, 
the upper parts being shades of hair and clove- 
brown, the feathers margined with white and 
* Dr. Fleming, Salmon, Hewitson. Neil, &c. 
+ Thompson, MSS. 
