446 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFORNIA 



gularly barred with dark brown and pinkish buff; under surface of flight 

 feathers dusky, with triangular cross markings of dull buff; foreneck, breast 

 and sides, streaked rather narrowly with brown on a pale buff, or pinkish 

 buff, ground; middle of under surface pale buff or whitish; flanks and under 

 tail coverts, pinkish buff, coarsely and irregularly barred with brown; feet 

 dark lead color. Males: Total length 16.60-18.50 inches (422-470 mm.) (seven 

 specimens); folded wing 9.22-9.81 (234-249); bill along culmen 2.75-3.38; (69.8- 

 85.8); tarsus 2.18-2.45 (55.5-62.1) (ten specimens). Females: Total length 

 17.75-18.75 (452-477) (four specimens); folded wing 9.45-10.30 (240-262); 

 bill along culmen 3.22-3.87 (81.7-98.3); tarsus 2.24-2.35 (56.8-59.6) (six speci- 

 mens); all from California. Juvenile plumage: Like that of adults, but the 

 light spots on upper surface are larger and these spots and the whole lower 

 surface are more pervaded with pinkish buff. The immature winter plumage 

 results from fading and wearing of the juvenile plumage; the annual molt 

 appears to occur in early spring. Natal flumage : Not known to us. 



Marks for field identification — Large size, long, down-curved bill (fig. 74), 

 grayish brown rather than reddish-appearing general coloration, distinctly 

 barred axillars and under surface of wing, and lack of contrasting white and 

 black areas. 



Voice — Usual call a series of clear penetrating staccato whistles; a low 

 whistled two-note, Tcur-leiv ; a rolling note, lasting six or seven seconds (For- 

 bush, 1912, p. 330; Mackay, 1892&, p. 347). 



Nest — On tundra, in a low swale, often with water at bases of the grass 

 clumps; a saucer-shaped depression in the top of a small hummock of grass or 

 moss (Grinnell, 1900, p. 28). 



Eggs — 4, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 2.22 to 2.54 by 1.61 to 1.70 (in 

 millimeters, 56.3 to 64.5 by 40.8 to 43.2), and averaging 2.36 by 1.64 (60.0 by 

 41.6); ground color bluish pea-green, olive buff or light olive green, with super- 

 ficial dots, spots and blotches of light to dark brown, and deeper ones of 

 drab or lavender; markings most numerous about larger end (Grinnell, loc. cit.). 



General distribution — North and South America. Breeds on coast of 

 Alaska from mouth of Yukon Eiver to Kotzebue Sound and on coast of northern 

 Mackenzie; winters chiefly on Pacific coast from Lower California to southern 

 Honduras, and from Ecuador to southern Chile ; also on Atlantic coast of South 

 America from British Guiana to mouth of Amazon Eiver; migrates mainly along 

 the Pacific and Atlantic coasts; rare in the interior (A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, 

 p. 125; Cooke, 1910, pp. 72-73). 



Distribution in California — Abundant spring and fall migrant along the 

 seacoast and through Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Spring migration 

 occurs from late February to early May, and fall migration from first week 

 in July until well into September or October. One record for November, at 

 Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo County (A. K. Fisher, 1893a, p. 24), and one for 

 December on Santa Cruz Island (Linton, 1908b, p. 126). Not known to winter 

 within our latitudes. Non-breeding birds are occasionally seen here in summer. 



The Hudsonian, or Jack Curlew as this species is popularly known, 

 is, today, by far the most plentiful of the three species of Curlew 

 which formerly abounded in many parts of North America. The 

 Hudsonian 's present superiority in numbers is, however, due to the 

 other two forms having been proportionately much more reduced ; 

 the Long-billed has been decimated, while the Eskimo is now almost, 



