426 
Bitterns, 
Curlew. 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
greater numbers than the former, and are very — 
good eating. | | 
BITTERNs are common at York Fort in Sum. © 
mer, but are feldom found fo far North as © 
Churchill River. I have feen two fpecies of this — 
bird; fome having afh-coloured legs, others with 
beautiful grafs-green legs, and very gay plumage. 
They always frequent marfhes and {wamps, alfo 
the banks of rivers that abound with reeds and 
long grafs. They generally feed on infects that 
are bred in the water, and probably on {mall 
frogs; and though feldom fat, they are gene- 
rally good eating. They are by no means nu- 
merous even at York Fort, nor in fact in the moft 
Southern parts of the Bay that I have vifited. 
Curzews. ‘There are two fpecies of this bird 
which frequent the coafts of Hudfon’s Bay in 
great numbers during Summer, and breed in all 
parts of it as far North as the latitude 72°; the 
largeft of this {pecies is diftinguifhed by that great 
Naturalift Mr. Pennant, by the name of the Ef 
quimaux Curlew. They always keep near the ~ 
fea coaft ; attend the ebbing of the tide, and are 
frequently found at low-water-mark in great 
numbers, where they feed on marine infeéts, 
which they find by the fides of ftones in great 
plenty; but at high-water they retire to the dry 
ridges and wait the receding of the tide. They 
fly as fteady as a woodcock, anfwer to a whiftle 
that refembles their note; lay long on their wings, | 
and are a moft excellent fhot, and at times are 
~ delicious 
