192 LAKID.E. 



409. NUMENIUS BOREALIS (Forst.X 

 (ESQUIMO WHIMBREL.) 



Numenius borealis, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 146 ; Durnford, lUs, 1878, p. 404 

 (Centr. Patagonia) ; Barroivs, Auk, 1884, p. 316 (Entrerios) ; Seebohm, 

 Plovers, p. 333 ; Baird, Brew., et Ridyw. Water-B. N. A. i. p. 318. 



Description. Above dark brown, each feather edged or spotted with pale buff 

 or dirty white, becoming most strongly marked on the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ; wings uniform dusky brownish, narrowly edged with white ; tail buffy 

 brown, transversely barred with dusky : beneath, throat white ; rest of under 

 surface pale buff, with more or less Y-shaped dusky markings on the breast, 

 flanks, and under tail-coverts ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale chestnut, 

 transversely barred with dusky : whole length 11-6 inches, wing 8' 14, tail 3*3. 

 Female similar. 



Hob. Arctic America, extending south to Patagonia in winter. 



The Esquimo Whimbrel, which, as Mr. Seebohm tells us, may be 

 distinguished from all its congeners by having scarcely any traces of 

 bars on its primaries and by the back of the tarsus being covered with 

 hexagonal reticulations, migrates from the tundras of North America, 

 where it breeds, to the southern extremity of South America. 



Mr. Barrows noted its first arrival at Concepcion in Entrerios on 

 September 9th, 1880, " in large flocks/' After the middle of October 

 none were seen there. 



The same excellent observer saw it almost daily on the pampas be- 

 tween Azul and Bahia Blanca, "in company with the Golden Plover 

 and Bartram's Sandpiper, until late in February." 



From the 8th to the 10th of October, 1877, Durnford saw large flocks 

 of this Whimbrel in the Chupat Valley flying south, and obtained two 

 specimens. Capt. Packe and Capt. Abbott both procured examples in 

 the Falkland Islands. 



Order XVI. 



Fam. L. LARID^E, OR GULLS. 



The Gulls and Terns of the Rio de la Plata require more attention, 

 and it is probable that several additions will have to be made to the 

 list. At present we can enumerate only nine species as certainly found 

 within our limits. The number of known Neotropical Laridse is 

 about thirty-three. 



