NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, HUDSONIAN CUELEW. 509 



contrary, is often seen on extensive dry plains, where it feeds on various 

 molluscs, insects, and berries, which it deftly secures with its extra- 

 ordinarily long bill. The leugth and curve of this member, measuring 

 sometimes eight or niue inches in leugth, gives the bird a singular and 

 unmistakable appearance, either in flight or when gathering its food. 

 Its voice is souorous and uot at all musical. Duriug the breediug sea- 

 son, in particular, its harsh cries of alarm resound when the safety of 

 its nest or young is threatened. In the fall, when food is plenty, it be- 

 comes very fat, and ati'ords delicate eating. 



Dr. Xewberry found the Curlew (piite abundant in the vicinity of San 

 Francisco, and throughout the Sacramento Valley during the autumn 

 and winter, though there were comparatively few in the summer before 

 tUe rainy season. " In our march," he adds, " through the Sacramento 

 Valley and northward, we did uot meet with it until we came down into 

 the plains bordering Pitt lliver, above the upper caiion. Here we found 

 them in immense numbers, and they formed a valuable addition to our 

 bill of fare. This prairie is entirely covered with water during the wet 

 season, as is proven by the myriads of aquatic shells (Pianorbis, Physa, 

 &c.) scattered over the ground in the grass, and as it does not dry up so 

 completely as the other valleys, the Curlews apparently pass the sum- 

 mer there. Around the Klamath Lakes and others of that grouj) the^' 

 were abundant in August, and we found them associated with the Geese 

 and other water-birds, which were congregated in countless numbers on 

 the low lands bordering the Columbia, in October." 



The eggs of the Long-billed Curlew are not ofteu so pyriform as among 

 the smaller waders, being in shape not unlike a hen's eggs. Different 

 specimens measure : 2.45 by 1.85 ; 2.60 by 1.80 ; 2.65 by 1.80 ; 2.70 by 

 1.90; 2.80 by 1.90. They are claj^-colored, with more or less olivaceous 

 in some instances, and in others decidedly buffy shade. The spotting 

 is generally pretty uniformly distributed and of small pattern, though 

 in many cases there is lai-ger blotching and even massing about the 

 great end. The color of the markings is sepia or umber, of different 

 shades in the buffy-tinged specimens, rather tending to chocolate. The 

 shell-markings are commonly numerous and evident. 



KUMEi!TIUS HUDSOXICUS, Lath. 

 Hiulsonhiii Curlew. 



Scoloimx horcalis, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 654 (uot of For ster, 1772). — Wils., Am. Oru. vii, 

 1813, 22, pi. ;-)(), fig. 1. 



NumeninH horcalis, Onu, ed. Wils. 1825. — Buew., ed. Wils. 1840, 473 (excliuling tbo syu- 

 ouymy which, Avith \nxvt of the account, belongs to true borealiti; description, 

 with most of the account, is of hudxonknx). 



Xumenius hiidmuicun, Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, IT'JU, 712 (based on Esquimaux Curlew, Arct. 

 Zool. ii, Kil, No. 3l)4, pi. ID, and Jliulsoinan CurUir, Lath., .Svu. Siip|»l. vii,24:>). — 

 JJi'., Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 201 ; Syu. 1828, 314 ; List, 1838, 4y.-^Sw. i.^ Kuii., V. Ii. A. 

 ii, 1831, 377.— NUTT., Man. ii, 1834, 97.— AUD., Oin. liiog. iii, 1835, 283 ; v, 5«J, pi. 

 237; Syu. 1831), 2134; IJ. Am. vi, 1843, 42, pi. 35().— Gn:., \i. L. I. 1841, 272.— Hd., 

 Ii. N. A. 18.58, 744.— Tayi.ou, Ibis, ii, 18(i0, 313 (Fonseca 15ay).— Kkinh., Ibis, 

 iii, 1801, 10 (Greenland).— DiiKSS., ihid. 18015, 40 (Texas).-^SAi,v., ihid. 11)7 

 (Chiapam. Gnat.).— Whk.vt., Ohio Agric. Kep. 18()0, No. 224.— C()ii;s, Pr. I'hila. 

 Acad. IHCl, 235 (Labrador).— Uoaudm., Fr. Bost. 8oc. ix, 18(52, 12'.t (Maine, mi- 

 gratory, rare).— CoUKS, ihid. xii, 181)8, 123 (South Carolina, wintering). — Vkkh., 

 I'r. K.ss. Inst, iii, 1HC)2, 1.51»'(Maiue, migratory, not etjunnon). — Ai.i.i'.x, ihid. iv. 

 18(54, 87 (Massachnset(s, migratory, rare). — Curi:;s, (7'((/. v, 18(58, 21H) (New En- 

 gland, migratory, rare). — McIlwic, ihid. v, 1^(50, 1)3 (Canada West). — Law i!., 

 Aun. Lye. N. Y. viii, lrti4, 101 (Sombrero); 18GG, 2i)4.— Scl,. iV Sai.v., F. Z. S. 

 18(57, 333 (Chili); 18(58, l7G(I.slav).— Dauw., Voy. Heagle, 129 (("hilo.').— Fkij-.., 

 NovaraKeiso, 128 (Chiloe).— Fniu, Cat. 34 (Chili).— Truxn., 15. E. Fa. ISdi), 32 

 (New Jersey, " plentifnl").- Dai.l A: Fa.nn., Tr. Chic, i, 18(31), 21)3 (Alaska).— 



