BIRDS OF KANSAS. 205 



on Briar Island, Nova Scotia, and a female shot at Neah Bay, 

 Washington. 



In habits they are not noticeably different from either of the 

 other two species. 



Their nests are placed on the ground, a mere depression lined 

 sparingly with old grasses or leaves. Eggs usually four; cream 

 to olive drab, irregularly spotted and blotched with varying 

 shades of umber to slate brown, thickest about larger end; in 

 shape, ovate, approaching pyriform. A set taken in June, 

 1885, in northwestern Dakota, measure: 2.28x1.59,2.30x1.63, 

 2.31x1.68, 2.31x1.69. Capt Chas. Bendire gives the follow- 

 ing dimensions of eight specimens collected by Mr. MacFarlane, 

 near the Arctic coast, in the vicinity of Anderson River: 2.25 

 xl.57, 2.30x1.60, 2.40x1.60, 2.39x1.59, 2.08x1.54, 2.23x 

 1.55, 2.23x1.65, 2.22x1.67. 



Numenius borealis (FORST.). 



ESKIMO CURLEW. 

 PLATE XII. 



Migratory; abundant. Arrive the last of March to middle of 

 April; return early in August, but are not nearly so numerous 

 as in the spring, the larger portion returning by the sea shore. 



B. 551. R. 560. C. 646. G. 263, 96. U. 266. 



HABITAT. Northern and eastern North America, breeding far 

 northward; south in winter to the southern extremity of South 

 America. 



SP. CHAR. "Adult: Crown dusky, streaked with buff, but without distinct 

 mesial stripe; a dusky stripe of aggregated streaks on side of head, from bill to 

 and behind the eye; rest of head, neck and entire lower parts light buff, the 

 cheeks and neck streaked, the breast, sides, flanks and crissum with Y-shaped 

 markings of dusky brown; axillars and lining of wing pale cinnamon, the 

 former narrowly barred with dusky. Upper parts spotted dusky and buff, the 

 wing coverts more grayish brown, with dusky shaft streaks; primaries, includ- 

 ing their inner, webs, plain brownish dusky. Rump and upper tail coverts spotted 

 dusky and light buff. Tail brownish gray, barred with dusky. 



"In plumage this little Curlew closely resembles. N. hudsonicus, but has the 

 inner webs of the primaries finely and confusedly mottled, instead of being 

 marked with very distinct and regular ochraceous spots; the breast with trans- 

 verse V-shaped markings, instead of linear, longitudinal streaks, while there are 

 other differences, besides the important one of size, which readily distinguish 

 them." 



