BIRDS OF 



tail feathers and wing coverts ashy-^ray, quills dusky with pale shafts, 

 secondaries mostly white, an.I inner primaries edged with the same ; under- 

 parts white, belly with a broad jet black area, breast and jugulum thickly 

 streaked with dusky ; bill and feet black. Adult in winter, and young ' 

 above, plain ash-gray, with dark shaft, with or without red or black traces ; 

 below white, little or no trace of black on the belly ; jugulum with a few 

 dusky streaks and an ashy suffusion. Length, 8-9 inches ; wing, 4^-5 ; tail, 

 2-2^ ; bill, i^-if , longer than head, compressed at base, rather depressed at 

 the end ; tibia bare about ; tarsus, i, or rather less. 



HAB. North America in general, breeding far north, and straggling to 

 eastern coast of Asia. 



This is the Black-heart Plover of sportsmen. It is a regular 

 visitor in Ontario in the season of migration, appearing on the 

 shores of Lake Ontario with wonderful regularity on the 

 Queen's birthday, (May 24th), as if to afford sport to our 

 gunners on that Canadian holiday. It is much in favor with 

 those who are fond of killing a great number of birds at once, 

 as it usually appears in large compact flocks and is not very 

 difficult of approach. I once saw seventy-six killed or wounded 

 with the discharge of two barrels. They had just arrived on the 

 shore, and seeming tired after a long flight, settled on a partially 

 submerged log near the water's edge, from which they were 

 unwilling to rise, and allowed the gunner to do as stated, to his 

 extreme delight. It did not occur to one, when looking at so 

 large a number of dead and wounded birds, that any very 

 commendable feat had been accomplished, but so it was con- 

 sidered at the time, and so it will be again, I presume, with that 

 class of sportsmen, but the like opportunity may not soon occur 

 again, as the number of Blackhearts which now visit that 

 locality is very small. 



0(j. TRINGA FERRUGINEA BKUNN. 2M. 



Curlew Sandpiper. 



Adult : cro.vn of tlis hsaJ and entire upper parts greenish-black, each 

 feather tipped and indents i with yellowish-red ; wing-coverts ashy-brown, 

 each feather with dusky shaft line an 1 red.lish edging. Upper tail-coverts 

 white, with broad dusky bars, tinged at their extremities with reddish. 



