02 NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS. 



company with various other waders, and at high water 

 roam along the marshes. They lly high ami with great 

 rapidity. A few are seen in June, and as late a^ tin? 

 beginning of July, when they generally move off to\> 

 the north. Their appearance on these oi:r..i-.ioiiN i., very 

 interesting : they collect together from the mar>li. 

 if by premeditated design, rise to a great height in the 

 air, usually about an hour before sunset, and, foraiin^ 

 in one vast line, keep up a constant whistling on their 

 march to the north, as if conversing with one another 

 to render the journey more agreeable. Their flight is 

 then more slow and regular, that the feeblest may keep 

 up with the line of march, while the glittering of their 

 beautifully speckled wings, sparkling in the sun, pro- 

 duces altogether a very pleasing spectacle. 



In the month of June, while the dewberries are ripe, 

 these birds sometimes frequent the fields, in company 

 with the long-billed curlews, where brambles abound, 

 soon get very fat, and are at that time excellent eating. 

 Those who wish to shoot them, fix up a shelter of 

 brushwood in the middle of the field, and by that means 

 kill great numbers. In the early part of spring, and 

 indeed during the whole time that they frequent the 

 marshes, feeding on shell fish, they are much ! 

 esteemed for the table. 



Pennant informs us, that they were seen in flocks 

 innumerable on the hills about Chatteux Bay, on the 

 Labrador coast, from August the 9th to September 6th, 

 when they all disappeared, being on their way from 

 their northern breeding place. He adds, " they kept 

 on the open grounds, fed on the empetrum nigrum, and 

 were very fat and delicious." They arrive at Hudson's 

 Bay in April, or early in May, pair and breed to the 

 north of Albany Fort among the woods, return in 

 August to the marshes, and all disappear in Septem- 

 ber.* About this time they return, in accumulated 

 numbers, to the shores of New Jersey, whence they 

 finally depart for the south early in November. 



* Philosophical Transactions, Ixii, 411. 



