28 Proceedings of the 



MacFarlane^'^. In this latter locality the birds bred abundantly, 

 MacFarlane collecting some thirty sets of eggs on the Barren 

 Grounds east of Fort Anderson on June 13, 1863, June 16, 1864, 

 and June 16, 1865^^. Previously Richardson had found "one of 

 these curlews hatching on three eggs on the short of Point Lake," 

 Mackenzie, on June 13, 1822^". He also found these birds at 

 Fort Franklin, on the west short of Great Bear Lake, Mackenzie, 

 late in May, 1849, but this was probably too early for nests^*^. 

 The breeding range probably extended from Alaska to Labrador 

 as these curlews penetrated even as far to the northwest as Point 

 Barrow, at the apex of the north Alaskan coast, where though 

 "rare and irregular" it was first seen by Murdock May 20, 1882, 

 and last seen July 6 of that year, thus probably being present 

 through the breeding season^^ Also, eastwardly it was recorded 

 by Kumlien as pasing in small flocks northward in June, 1878, at 

 Cumberland Bay, and a specimen was taken22. It was not known, 

 however, to have actually nested either west or east of the Mac- 

 kenzie Barren Grounds. 



The nest of the Eskimo Curlew was a mere hole in the ground 

 on the open plain lined with a few decayed leaves with a thin 

 sprinkling of dried grass in the center. The eggs were laid by 

 the third week in June. As the setting bird would glide off before 

 the nest was closely aproached it was a very difficult thing to 

 find. After leaving the nest the female usually soon ascended 

 into the air in a straight line. The eggs, usually four in number, 

 were oblong oval, slightly pear-shaped, varying in size from 

 1.90x1.40 to 2.12x1.33, and also exceedingly variable in color, a 

 pale green or greenish gray to clay colored or olivaceous drab 

 heavily marked on the larger end with shades of sepia to umber 



"Preble, North American Fauna, No. 27. p. 3.12, 190S. 



"MacFarlane, R. Proc. U. S. Nat Museum, xiv, p. 429. lS9h 



"Swainson, W. and Richardson, J. Fauna Borcali-Americana. London, 

 ii, p. 378, 1831. 



■"Richardson, J. Arctic Searching Expedition : A Journal of a Boat- Voy- 

 age through Rupert's Land and the Arctic .Sea, in search of the Dis- 

 covery Ships under command of Sir John Franklin, London, ii. p. 

 108. 1851. 



"Murdock, J. Auk, ii. p. 63 and p. 201. 1885. 



'■'Kumlien, L. Bull. 15, U. S. Nat. Museum, p. 88, 1879. 



