in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of gralla. The back is cylindrical, obtuse, and longer than the head; the nostrils are linear; the face is covered; and the feet have four toes. There are 18 species; of which the following are the principal. 1. The *arquata*, or curlew, frequents our sea-coasts and marshes in the winter time in large flocks, walking on the open sands; feeding on shells, frogs, crabs, and other marine insects. In summer they retire to the mountainous and unfrequented parts of the country, where they pair and breed. Their eggs are of a pale olive colour, marked with irregular but distinct spots of pale brown. Their flesh is very rank and fishy, notwithstanding an old English proverb in its favour. Curlews differ much in weight and size; some weighing 37 ounces, others not 22: the length of the largest to the tip of the tail, 25 inches; the breadth, three feet five inches; the bill is seven inches long: the head, neck, and coverts of the wings, are of a pale brown; the middle of each feather, black; the breast and belly white, marked with narrow oblong black lines: the back is white, spotted with a few black strokes: the quill-feathers are black, but the inner webs spotted with white; the tail is white, tinged with red, and beautifully barred with black; the legs are long, strong, and of a bluish grey colour; the bottoms of the toes flat and broad, to enable it to walk on the soft mud, in search of food.

2. The *phoebeus*, or whimbrel, is much less frequent on our shores than the curlew; but its haunts, food, and general appearance, are much the same. It is observed to visit the neighbourhood of Spalding (where it is called the curlew knot) in vast flocks in April, but continues there no longer than May; nor is it seen there any other time of the year: it seems at that season to be on its passage to its breeding place, which Mr Pennant supposes to be among the Highlands of Scotland. The specific difference is the size; this never exceeding the weight of 12 ounces.

3. The *rufticola*, or woodcock, during summer inhabits the Alps of Norway, Sweden, Polish Prussia, the march of Brandenburg, and the northern parts of Europe: they all retire from those countries the beginning of winter, as soon as the frosts commence; which force them into milder climates, where the ground is open, and adapted to their manner of feeding. They live on worms and insects, which they search for with their long bills in soft grounds and moist woods.—Woodcocks generally arrive here in flocks, taking advantage of the night or a mist: they soon separate; but before they return to their native haunts, pair. They feed and fly by night; beginning their flight in the evening, and return the same way or through the same glades to their day retreat. They leave England the latter end of February, or beginning of March; not but they have been known to continue here accidentally. These birds appear in Scotland first on the eastern coasts, and make their progress from east to west. They do not arrive in Breadalbane, a central part of the kingdom, till the beginning or middle of November; nor the coasts of Nether Lorn, or of Ross-shire, till December or January: they are very rare in the remote Hebrides, and in the Orkneys. A few stragglers now and then arrive there: they are equally scarce in Caithness. Our species of woodcock is unknown in North America: but a kind is found that has the general appearance of it; but is scarce half the size, and wants the bars on the breast and belly. The weight of the woodcock is usually about 12 ounces; the length near 14 inches; and the breadth, 26; the bill is three inches long, dusky towards the end, reddish at the base; tongue slender, long, sharp, and hard at the point; the eyes large, and placed near the top of the head, that they may not be injured when the bird thrusts its bill into the ground; from the bill to the eyes is a black line; the fore-head is a reddish ash colour; the crown of the head, the hind part of the neck, the back, the coverts of the wings, and the scapulars, are prettily barred with a ferruginous red, black, and grey; but on the head the black predominates: the quill-feathers are dusky, indented with red marks. The chin is of a pale yellow; the whole under side of the body is of a dirty white, marked with numerous transverse lines of a dusky colour. The tail consists of 12 feathers, dusky or black on the one web, and marked with red on the other; the tips above, are ash coloured, below white; which, when shooting on the ground was in vogue, was the sign the fowler discovered the birds by. The legs and toes are livid; the latter divided almost to their very origin, having only a very small web between the middle and interior toes; as those of the two species of snipes found in England.

4. The *goethebola*, or godwit, weighs 12 ounces and a half; the length is 16 inches; the breadth 27; the bill is four inches long, turns up a little, black at the end, the rest a pale purple; from the bill to the eye is a broad white stroke; the feathers of the head, neck, and back, are of a light reddish brown, marked in the middle with a dusky spot; the belly and vent feathers white, the tail regularly barred with black and white. The six first quill-feathers are black; their inferior edges of a reddish brown; the legs in some are dusky, in others of a greyish blue, which perhaps may be owing to different ages; the exterior toe is connected as far as the first joint of the middle toe with a strong ferrated membrane. The male is distinguished from the female by some black lines on the breast and throat; which in the female are wanting. These birds are taken in the fens, in the same season and in the same manner with the ruffs and reeves*; and when fattened are esteemed a great delicacy, and sell for half a crown or five shillings a piece. A stake of the same species is placed in the net. They appear in small flocks on our coasts in September, and continue with us the whole winter; they walk on the open sands like the curlew, and feed on insects.

5. The *glottis*, or greenhank, is in length to the end of the tail, 14 inches; to that of the toes, 20; its breadth, 25. The bill is two inches and a half long; the upper mandible black, straight, and very slender; the lower reflects a little upwards; the head and upper part of the neck are ash-coloured, marked with small dusky lines pointing down; over each passes a white line; the coverts, the scapulars, and upper part of the back, are of a brownish ash-colour; the quill-feathers dusky, but the inner webs speckled with white; the breast, belly, thighs, and lower part of the back, are white; the tail is white, marked with undulated dusky bars: the inner coverts of the wings finely crossed with double and treble rows of a dusky colour. It is a bird of an elegant shape, and small weight in proportion to its dimensions, weighing only six ounces. The legs are very long and slender, and bare above two inches higher than the knees. The exterior toe is united to the middle toe, as far as the second joint, by a strong mem- membrane which borders their sides to the very end.—These birds appear on the English coasts and wet grounds in the winter-time in but small numbers.

6. The *calidris*, or red-thank, is found on most of our shores; in the winter-time it conceals itself in the gutters, and is generally found single or at most in pairs. It breeds in the fens and marshes; and flies round its nest when disturbed, making a noise like a lapwing. It lays four eggs, whitish tinged with olive, marked with irregular spots of black chiefly on the thicker end. It weighs five ounces and a half; the length is 12 inches, the breadth 2½; the bill near two inches long, red at the base, black towards the point. The head, hind part of the neck, and scapulars, are of a dusky ash-colour, obscurely spotted with black; the back is white, sprinkled with black spots; the tail elegantly barred with black and white; the cheeks, under side of the neck, and upper part of the breast, are white, streaked downward with dusky lines; the belly white; the exterior webs of the quill-feathers are dusky; the legs long, and of a fine bright orange colour; the utmost toe connected to the middle toe by a small membrane; the inmost by another still smaller.

7. The *gallinago*, or common snipe, weighs four ounces; the length, to the end of the tail, is near 12 inches; the breadth about 1¼; the bill is three inches long, of a dusky colour, flat at the end, and often rough like shagrin above and below. The head is divided lengthwise with two black lines, and three of red, one of the last passing over the middle of the head, and one above each eye; between the bill and the eyes is a dusky line; the chin is white; the neck is varied with brown and red. The scapulars are beautifully striped lengthwise with black and yellow; the quill-feathers are dusky; but the edge of the first is white, as are the tips of the secondary feathers; the quill-feathers next the back are barred with black and pale red; the breast and belly are white; the coverts of the tail are long, and almost cover it; they are of a reddish brown colour. The tail consists of 14 feathers, black on their lower part, then crossed with a broad bar of deep orange, another narrow one of black; and the ends white, or pale orange. The vent feathers are of a dull yellow; the legs pale green; the toes divided to their origin. In the winter-time snipes are very frequent in all our marshy and wet grounds, where they lie concealed in the rushes, &c. In summer they disperse to different parts, and are found in the midst of our highest mountains as well as of our low moors; their nest is made of dried grass; they lay four eggs of a dirty olive colour, marked with dusky spots; their young are so often found in England, that we doubt whether they ever entirely leave this island. When they are disturbed much, particularly in the breeding season, they soar to a vast height, making a singular bleating noise; and when they descend, dart down with vast rapidity: it is also amusing to observe the cock, while his mate sits on her eggs, poise himself on her wings, making sometimes a whistling and sometimes a drumming noise. Their food is the same with that of the woodcock; their flight very irregular and swift, and attended with a shrill scream. They are most universal birds, found in every quarter of the globe, and in all climates.