Nebraska Oniitliologists' Union 43 



wardlv about October 1. Augliey^" records a specimen sent him 

 from Bellevue for identification in October. 1874, and states that 

 he had ol)ser\ed the species in northeastern Nebraska in that 

 month. 



The Eskimo Curlew had several notes. During flight they 

 uttered a fluttering "tr-tr-tr" note which was given by many indi- 

 viduals at once, and described by Coues as a "low conversational 

 chatter" and by Mackay as "a soft, melodious whistle, bcc. bee." 

 Mr. W. A. Elwood describes this note as ''a short low whistle," 

 continually repeated l)y many of the birds simultaneously while 

 in flight. Mr. A. J. Leach recalls the notes as resembling quite 

 closely the note of the bluebird when in flight, only perhaps 

 .shorter and more of a twittermg whistle, and as it was given by 

 a large number. perha])s all. of the flock as they took wing and 

 while flying, it was ditiicult to catch the mdividual note. This 

 note was constantly uttered while the birds were flying and was 

 often audible before the birds could be '^een. Before alighting, 

 as they descended and sailed, they gave a soft whistle, somewhat 

 like the note of the Upland Plover, according to Professor 

 Bruner, while as they walked over the ground when feeding 

 they uttered a chiriping whistle as if calling to each other. 



The Eskimo Curlew was a bird of such food habits that it is a 

 distinct loss to our agriculttire that it should have disappeared. 

 During the invasion of the Rocky Mountain Grasshopper {Mela- 

 nopltis shrctus) it did splendid work in the destruction of grass- 

 hoppers and their eggs. Mr. Wheeler states that in the latter '70"s 

 these birds would congregate on pieces of land which had not 

 been plowed and where the grasshopper eggs were laid, reach 

 down into the soil with their long bills and drag out the egg cap- 

 sules which they would then devour with their contents of eggs 

 or young 'hoppers, until the land had been cleared of the pests. 

 A specimen examined by Aughey in 1874 had thirty-one grass- 

 hoppers in its stomach together with a large number of small 

 berries of .some kind"''. The bird in its migrations often alighted 

 on plowed ground to feed on the white grubs and cutworms 



"Aughey, S. 1st Rept. U. S. Entomological Comm., Appendix, p. 55, 

 1878. 



