LONG BILLED CURLEW. - 95. 



near Charleston, in the month of January. Their southern 

 migrations, in all probability, are bounded by the shores of 

 the Mexican Gulph. Like most species of the genus, they 

 retire into the desolate regions of the north to breed. Dr. 

 Richardson believes, that they frequent the plains of the 

 Saskatchewan and the Columbia, at this season ; and they 

 are known to visit the neighborhood of Hudson's Bay. In 

 Major Long's Expedition, it appears that some of these 

 birds were observed as far inland as the Illinois, latitude 

 42°, on the 15th of June, which might be supposed, about 

 the time of breeding. According to Wilson, a few instances 

 have been known, of one or two pairs remaining in the salt 

 marshes of Cape May the whole summer ; and they were 

 believed to nest there on the ground, laying 4 eggs in size 

 and color much resembling those of the Clapper Rail. In- 

 deed, it will probably be found, that many birds, now sup- 

 posed to pass the period of reproduction, in the remote 

 regions of the north, only separate into solitary pairs, and 

 disperse themselves through the vast wilds of the interior of 

 North America. 



The Long Billed Curlews fly high and rapid, generally 

 throwing themselves, when in company, into an ano-ular 

 wedge, after the manner of wild geese ; uttering, as they 

 fly, and when at all alarmed, a loud, short, whistling, and 

 almost barking note, sometimes, as in other species of the 

 family, strongly resembling the sibilation of the word hirlew, 

 and from whence they derive their characteristic name, 

 adopted into so many of the European languages. By a 

 dexterous imitation of this note, a whole flock may some- 

 times be enticed within gun shot ; while the cries of the 

 wounded continue the sympathetic enticement, until the 

 fowler, repeating his shots, carries havoc among the quailing 

 throng. Their food consists principally of insects, worms, 

 and small crabs. The young and old, also, on their arrival 



