508 NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS, LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 



I^UMENIUS LONGIEOSTKIS, Wils. 



Long-billed Curlew. 



ScoJojyax avquata var. /J, G'si., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 656. 



Numeinus a)qi«itn var. 13, Lath., lud. Oru. ii, 1790, 710. 



XiirncniiiH loii(/irostrts,'\Yu.s., Am. Oru. viii, 1^14, 24, pi. 64, f. 4. — Bp., Obs. Wils. 182.5, 

 No. 200; Syu. 1828, 314 ; List, 1838, 49.— Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 376.— 

 NuTT., Mail, ii, 1834, 94.— AuD., Orn. Bio^^-. iii, 1835, 240 ; v, 1839, 587 ; i)l. 231 ; 

 Syn. 1839, 254; B. Am. vi, 1843, 35, pi. 355.— Gir., B. L. I. 1844, 271.— Woodii., 

 SitgT. Rep. 1853, 98.- Putn., Pr. Ess. lust, i, 1856, 218.— Nkwi;., P. R. R. Rep. 

 vi, 1857, 99 (California). — Hekrm., ibid, x, 1859, pt. vi, 66 (California). — Bd., 

 B. N. A. 1858, 743.— LoKD, Pr. Roy. Arty. lust, iv, 125.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. 

 Wash. Ter. 1860, 245.— Codes, Pr. Pliiia. Acad. 1861, 235.— Bo.\I{DM., Pr. Bost. 

 Soc. 1862, ix, 129(Maiue, migratory). — Vekk., Pr. Ess. lust, iii, 1862, 159. — Allex, 

 ibid, iv, 18{)4, 87.— McIlwu., ibid.\, 1866, 93 (Cauada West, rare).— C()UE.s, ibid. 

 V, 1868, 296 (New Euglaud).— Tkippe, ibid, ix, 1871, 119 (Minnesota).— Coues, 

 Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866,98 (Arizona).— CouES, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 123 (South 

 Carolina).- Hoy, Smiths. Rep. 1864, 438 (Missouri).- Cab., J. f. O. iv, 349 

 (Cuba).— SCL.,P. Z.S. 1864, 78 (Mexico).— Dkess, Ibis, 1866,40 (Matamoras).— 

 Salv., Ibis, 1866, 197 (Guatemala).- Lawu., Aun. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 294.— 

 TuRNB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 32.— Allex, Mem. Bost. i, 1868, 501 (Iowa).- Mayn., 

 Guide, 1870, 142.- Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 356 (Florida); iii, 1872, 182 

 (Kau.sas). — CoUES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871, 32 (Noith Carolina, resident). — Merr., 

 U. S. Geol. Surv. 1872, 701 (Utah).— Trippe, Pr. Bo,st. Soc. xv, 1872, 241 (Iowa, 

 breeding). — Finsch, Abh. Nat. iii, 1870, 363 (Mazatlan). — CoUES, Key, 1872, 

 262, fig. 174.— Sxow, B. Kaus. 1873, 10.— Ridgw., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 385 

 (lUiuois). 



Ntimeniuti riifiis, Vieill., Galerie Ois. ii, 1825, 118, pi. 245 (in part). 



Xummins occidentalis, Woodh., Pr. Phila. Acad, vi, 1852, 194 ; Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 93, \)\. 6 

 (Young; Albuquerque, New Mexico). 



(?) Nxmevius melanopus, Vieill. 



I,?) ^. 6ra6(7(f;)67s, Maxim. (Brazil.) {Gray.) 



nab. — United States and British Provinces. Breeds nearly throughout its range, 

 and resident in the South. South to Mexico. Guatemala (Ho Brazil). Cuba. 

 Not obtaiued by Captain Rayuolds' Expeditlou. 

 Later Expeditions. — 59871, Colorado ; 61649, Utah. 



The Curlew issues from the egg clothed in whitish down, thickly blotched above 

 with brownish-black, and with the bill straight, about an inch long. This member 

 ra})idly grows to a length of three or four inches, and becomes decurved. Up to the 

 time when the bill is still no longer thau that of A'^. hudsoniciis, it may readily be distin- 

 guished from that species by the strong rufescence of the under jiarts, nearly clear of 

 the hastate or sagittate dark markings which occur in X. hudsoniciis ; by its rather 

 larger size, even at an early age, and the usual evidences of immaturity in the texture 

 of the plumage. X. occidentalis of Woodhouse is a bird apparently of this sort. 



Unlike our other two species of Curlew, the Long-billed is perfectly 

 at home in most parts of the United States, rearing its young- even 

 down to our southern border. Its northern range is restricted, appar- 

 ently, by the region of the Saskatchewan, as intimated by Eichardson, 

 and the length of the British Provinces adjoining the United States. I 

 was, however, assured of its occurrence in Labrador, though I did not 

 see it myself. In o^ew England it appears to be rather uncommon, ac- 

 cording to all accounts, and I have found no record of its nesting in that 

 quarter. I found it resident on the North Carolina coast, where it un- 

 doubtedly breeds. I found it breeding with Godwits and Bartramian 

 Tattlers on the prairies of Minnesota and Eastern Dakota, and likewise 

 observed it in June, apparently breeding, in New Mexico, near Fort Win- 

 gate, just west of the Bio Grande. I procured it at Fort Whipple to- 

 ward the close of summer. Dr. Woodhouse saw large flocks on the 

 jirairies of Texas and the Indian Territory. According to the authors 

 above quoted, it breeds in Kansas and Iowa, as well as about Great Salt 

 Lake, in Utah. 



It is by no means confined to the vicinity of the water, but, on the 



