BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 295 



lIisTouy. 

 'Ill is is one of the largest shore fjirds. Only the J>»ig- 

 \)\\\<-([ Clurlew and the Oyster-eatcher ef|iial or exeeed the great 

 (iodwit in size and weigfit. Proha}>ly it never was very abun- 

 dant on the foast of New England. As it breeds in the interior 

 of tlie roil n try f formerly as far south as Nebraska, Iowa and 

 Wisconsin at l(;ast, and still IVoni nortlieiTi North Dakota to 

 the valley of the Saskatchewan; its southeasterly fall migration 

 would not be likely to bring it here in large numl)ers; but a 

 good many individuals formerly migrated almost direetly east, 

 and appe;ircd in the Maritime Provinces and in New England, 

 and from there moved down the const, increasing in number by 

 acc;essions from the int(;rior until Florida was reached. Ap- 

 p;iicritly it jilso goes almost direetly west from its breeding 

 grounds t(j the I'aciHe coast. This is a remarkable departure 

 from the usual route of the shore birds, and seems to })e unique. 

 I*robably this bird's })reeding range extends much farther 

 iioilh ihiiii il-. pfiiifi|);il suiniiicr home, as it has })een found 

 both on iludson Ha\' and in Ahiska. While Wayne states that 

 this sj>ecies wint(;rs as far s(juth as Argentina, the weight of 

 evidence seems to show that it winters mainly farther north. 

 Some individuals winter, or formerly did so, in southern Cal- 

 ifornia, (ieorgia and Florida. Audubon observed it in great 

 flocks in Florida, but now it rarely is seen except in small 

 companies, or a pair or single indi\'idiial here and thcr(; on the 

 Atlantic; coast, and is rare north of Florida. Caj^e Cod, it is 

 said, was formerly a favorite sto})ping place, but the bird is 

 very rare there now. 



The following notes indicate its decrease: Passes in spring 

 from Florida along the coast to Massachusetts, in immense 

 flocks fAudubon). In August they appear in large numbers, 

 and many are shot for table (Peabody, Massachusetts, 18.30). 

 Around May greater part go north to breed; return in large 

 flocks in August; remain until November (T)e Kay, New^ York, 

 1844). Not uncommon spring and autumn fTurnbull, eastern 

 Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 1869). Flocks of from ten or a 

 do/cn to one huFidred birds in marshes of Massachusetts sea- 



