318 



PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLiE. 



the ground, and were usually mere depressions lined witli a few withered leaves. The 

 ecTo-s four in nmnber, were found between the 20th of June and the 10th of July. These 

 nests were found in about 70° north latitude, but were comparatively rare ; they were 

 usually placed near small lakes or streams : this, however, was not always the case. 



Eo-f'-s of this species in the Smithsonian Institution, from Mr. MacFarlane (Xo. 

 9428), have a groiuid-color of a creamy drab. The markings are irregular spots of a 

 dark umber tint, with larger spottings of a slaty brown around the greater end. 

 These measiu-e, one, 2.40 by 1.57 inches ; the other, 2.38 by 1.59 inches. Another 

 set (jSTo. 14101) have a similar ground, but the markings are larger, less numerous, 

 and of a paler shade of brown ; these measure 2.21 by 1.65 inches. 



Numenius borealis. 



THE ESKIMO CURLEW. 



Scolopax borealis, Forst. Phil. Trans. LXII. 1772, 411, 431 (Albany Fort]. 



Nunmiiu.t borealis, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 712. — Sw. & EiCH. F. B. A. II. 1831, 378, pi. 65. 



— Ntttt. Man. II. 18:J4, 101. — AuD. Orn. Bioi,'. III. 1835, 69; V. 1839, 590, pi. 208 ; Synop. 



1839, 255 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 45, pi. 357. — Cais.s. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 744. — Baiud, 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 551. — CoUES, Key, 1872, 262 ; Check List, 1873, no. 443 ; 2d ed. 



1882, no. 646 ; liirds N. W. 1874, 510. — Ridgw. Noni. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 560. 

 Numenius brevirostris, Licirr. \'erz. Doubl. 1823, 75. 

 Numcnins microrliynclms, Phil. & Laxdb. Wiegm. Archiv, 1866, 129 (Chili). 



Hab. Eastern Province of North America ; breeding in Arctic districts, where extending from 

 the Prylnlof Islands (not breeding) to Greenland ; migrating south to the extremity of South 

 America (Falkland Lslands, Patagonia, Cliili, and S. Brazil) ; no West Indian record, but noted 

 from Bermuda and Trinidad (Leotaud). Occasional in Europe. Not recorded from Western 

 North America. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Crown dusky, streaked with huff', but without distinct mesial stripe; a 

 dusky stripe of aggregated streaks on side of head, from bill to and behind the eye ; rest of head, 

 neck, and entire lower parts light buff, the cheeks and neck streaked, the breast, sides, flanks, and 





crissum with V-shaped markings of dusky brown ; axillars and lininj^ of the wing pale cinnamon, 

 the former narrowly barred with dusky. Upper parts spotted dusky and buff, the wing-coverts 

 more grayish brown, with dusky shaft-streaks ; primaries, including their inner webs, plain brown- 

 ish dusky. Rump and upper tail-coverts spotted dusky and light buff. Tail brownish gray, barred 

 with du.sky. 



Wing, 8.00-8.50 inches ; culnien, 2.25-2.50; tarsus, 1.70-1.80 ; middle toe, 1.00. 



In plumage, this little Curlew closely resembles N. Hudsonicns, but has the inner webs of the 

 primaries finely and confusedly mottled, instead of being marked with very distinct and regular 

 ochraceous spots ; the breast with transverse V-shaped markings instead of linear, longitudinal 

 streaks, while there are other differences, besides the important one of size, which readily dis- 

 tinguish them. 



