. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . oureggs of a greenish cast, spotted with brown. The Curlew is met with by travellers in most parts ofEurope, from Iceland to the Mediterranean Islands. InBritain their summer residence is upon the large, heathy,boggy moors, where they breed. Their food consists ofworms, flies, and inserts, which they pick out of the softmossy ground by the marshy pools, which are commonin such places. In winter they depart to the sea-side,where they are seen in great numbers, and then live up-on the worms, marine inse<Sts, and other fishy substan
. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . oureggs of a greenish cast, spotted with brown. The Curlew is met with by travellers in most parts ofEurope, from Iceland to the Mediterranean Islands. InBritain their summer residence is upon the large, heathy,boggy moors, where they breed. Their food consists ofworms, flies, and inserts, which they pick out of the softmossy ground by the marshy pools, which are commonin such places. In winter they depart to the sea-side,where they are seen in great numbers, and then live up-on the worms, marine inse<Sts, and other fishy substances•which they pick up on the beach, and among the looserocks and pools left by the retiring tide. The flesh ofthe Curlew has been characterised by some as very good,and of a fine flavour j by others as dire<Slly the reverse : BRITISH BIRDS. 65 the truth Is, that while they are in health and season, andlive on the moors, scarcely any bird can excel them ingoodness; but when they have lived some time on thesea-shore, they acquire a rank amd fishy THE WHIMBREL. {Scolopax PhaopuS) Lin.—Lepetit Courilsf Buff.) The Whimbrel is only about half the size of the Cur-lew, which it very nearly resembles in shape, the colours-of its plumage, and manner of living. It is about seven-t^een inches in length, and twenty-nine in breadth, andweighs about fourteen ounces. The bill is about threeinches long, the upper mandible black, the under onepale red. The upper part of the head is black, dividedin the middle of the crown by a white line from thebrow to the hinder part: between the bill and the eyesthere is a darkish oblong spot; the sides of the head, the 66 BRITISH BIRDS. ^eck, and breast, are of a pale brown, marked with nar-row dark streaks pointing downwards : the belly is of thesame colour, but the dark streaks upon it are larger;about the vent it is quite white; the lower part of theback is also white. The rump and tail feathers are bar-red with black and white ; the shaft
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1800, bookidhistoryo, booksubjectbirds
