160 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



•have been found In-oeding on the barren land of the Arctic Regions. 

 They seem to prefer the eastern route duiini;' migrations. Mr. 

 Chamberhiin reports them as abundant along the Atlantic, as far 

 north, at least, as Auticosti. Dr. Bell found them in plenty near 

 Fort Churchill, but in the " Birds of Manitoba," no mention is made 

 of them. In Southern Ontario they are still rare. Occasionally a 

 straggling Hock of migrants is seen in .spring, and Dr. Macallum 

 reports them as regular visitors at ^lohawk Island everv June, l)ut 

 on such occasions they appear only in small numbers. 



NUMENirs BOREALIS (Fokst.). 

 118. Eskimo Curlew. (266) 



liill. small, uiiilei' 8 inches long; length. I'J-l.") inches; wing, umlci- 9; tail, 

 'A; tarsus, 2. Plunuige, in tone and pattern almost exactly as in the last 

 species, but averaging more I'ufous, especially under the wings, and primaries, 

 not baried. 



Hab. — Eastern Province of X(jrth America, lueeding in the Arctic legions, 

 and migrating south to the southern extremity of South America. 



Nest, in' opeii plains, a hollow lined with grass and leaves. 



Kggs, oliye-ilrali slia<ling to green gray, or hiowii marked with dark choco- 

 late. 



The Curlews all resemble each other in plumage, but in size they 

 vary c(jnsideral)l\', this being the smallest of the three. It is very 

 abundant in tlie remote regions which it frequents in sunnner, and 

 also along its migratory course, from which it does not .seem to 

 deviate much. On the Pacific coast it has not yet been observed, 

 and on the Atlantic shores it api)ears only in limited numbers. The 

 great highway of the species is through the States just east of the 

 Rocky Mountains, where it is seen in innnense flocks in spring and 

 fall. Dr. Coues says it is extraordinarily abundant in some places 

 during the migration, as in Labi-ador, where it fairly swai'ins in 

 August. T once found myself, unexpectedly, in close proximity to a 

 solitary individual on the shore of the beach, near Hamilton, and 

 secured it, but that is the only record I have of its occurrence in 

 Ontario. 



Dr. Macallum's experience with this species is similar to mine. 

 He .secured two, which were feeding in an t)ld pasture field along 

 with .some Golden Plovers ; but these are all he has .seen in twenty 

 years. 



