the statement made by a writer in 'Cassel's Magazine' for June or July,
1878, that he found a young Curlew in the down on one of the Islands
near Jethou, probably from the description 'La Fauconniere.' The writer
of this paper in 'Cassel's Magazine' was evidently no ornithologist,
and must, I think, have mistaken a young Oystercatcher, of which
several pairs were breeding there at the time, for a young Curlew; his
description of the cry of the old birds as they flew round was much more
like that of the Oystercatcher than the Curlew. All of the boatmen also,
with whom I have been about at various times, agree that the Curlews do
not breed in the Islands, though they are quite aware that they remain
throughout the year, and as many of them, in spite of the Guernsey Bird
Act, are great robbers of the eggs of the Gulls, Puffins, and
Oystercatchers, all of which they know well, they would hardly miss such
a fine mouthful as the egg of the Curlew if it was to be found. No doubt
the number of Curlews is largely increased in the autumn by migratory
visitors, which remain throughout the winter and depart again in the
spring: though numerous during autumn and winter, they are very wild and
wary, and, as everywhere else where I have had any experience of Curlews
at that time of year, very difficult to get a shot at; consequently very
few find their way into the market.

The Curlew is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.

111. WHIMBREL. _Numenius phaeopus_, Linnaeus. French, "Courlis
corlieu."--A good many Whimbrel visit all the Islands during the spring
migration, and a few may stay some little time into the summer, as I
have seen them as late as June, but, as far as I have been able to make
out, none breed there; a few also may make their appearance on the
autumn migration, but very few in comparison with those which appear in
the spring, and I have never seen any there at that time. Purdy, one of
the Guernsey boatmen, who is pretty well up in the sea and shore birds,
told me the Whimbrel occurred commonly in May, but not on the autumn
migration. He added that it was known there as the "May-bird," and was
very good to eat, and much easier to shoot than a Curlew, in which he is
quite right.

Professor Ansted includes the Whimbrel in his list, and marks it only as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.