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NUMENIUS BOREALIS— LATHAM. 



ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 



Nnmenius borealis, Bonap. Syn. 

 Numenius borealis, Esquimaux Curlew, Sw. & Rich. 

 Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius luirealis, Nutt. Man. 

 Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Bill along the gap about two inches and ft 

 quarter ; tarsi one inch and five-eighths; upper parts dusky brown 

 with pale yellowish-white, marked all over with pale reddish-brown. 

 Adult with a line of white from the bill to the eye ; eyelids white ; 

 upper part of the head dusky, spotted in front with grayish-white, 

 a medial band of the same color ; throat white; neck and breast 

 yellowish-gray, with longitudinal markings of dusky on the former, 

 pointed spots of the same color on the latter ; abdomen dull yellow- 

 ish white ; flanks barred with brown ; lower tail coverts the same 

 as the abdomen ; tail and upper tail coverts barred with pale red- 

 dish-brown and dusky, tipped with yellowish-white ; upper parts 

 brownish, the feathers tipped with pale reddish-brown, the scapu- 

 lars margined and tipped with lighter ; primaries dark brown, 

 margined internally with lighter — the first shaft white, with the tip 

 dusky — the rest brown. Length fourteen inches and a half, wing 

 eight. 



In New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, 

 this species is seen every season. It frequents the open grounds in 



the vicinity of the sea-coast, feeding on grasshoppers, insects, seeds, 

 worms and berries. It arrives among us in the latter part of Au- 

 gust, and remains until the first of November, when it assembles in 

 flocks, and moves off to its winter quarters, which are said to be 

 South of the United States. I have shot a few stragglers in this 

 vicinity as late as the twentieth of November. It occasionally as- 

 sociates with the Golden Plover. In the autumn it is generally in 

 fine condition, and unlike the former two, its flesh is well flavored. 

 In the vicinity of New York it is known by the name of " Futes" — 

 in the Eastern States it is called " Doe Bird." It breeds on the bar- 

 ren grounds at the North. 



