128 With Rod and Gun in New England 



out, thus offering a good mark for the aim of the gunner. He is a poor 

 shot who cannot obtain nearly all the birds in a flock." 



" The jack curlew is also growing scarce," said the Doctor. 



"Yes, and for the same reason. It comes to the gunner's whistle 

 freely, offers a good mark for his aim and is as sympathetic as the sickle- 

 bill, for it returns to the stools or to the cries of its wounded comrades 

 until the last bird in the flock is shot. Yes, the jack, or short-billed curlew, 

 or the Hudsonian curlew, as it is usually called, is becoming fewer in 

 numbers every year. It is the Numenius Hudsonicus of scientists, and in 

 different sections is called the horse-foot marlin, striped head, and wimbrel; 

 it breeds in the Arctic regions and returns to our coast by the latter part 

 of August. It prefers the salt-water marshes to the beach, and feeds on 

 insects, berries, and small crustaceans. It is not a favorite with epicures." 



" It, then, is not the species that we call the ' doe bird,' " said the 

 Judge. 



"Not by any means," I answered ; "the doe bird is the Esquimaux 

 curlew, the Numenius borealis of ornithologists. It is smaller than either of 

 the other curlews and often associates with the plovers and other bay 

 birds. In my shooting excursions to Prince Edward island, in August, I 

 have had great success with it. While not always coming to my plover 

 decoys I could almost invariably whistle them down, and they counted up 

 very rapidly in a day's bag. The northern shore of the island is a famous 

 locality for these curlew, it being their first stopping place on their way 

 south from Labrador. 



" They reach the New England coast about the twentieth of August 

 and remain with us until late in September, in fact I have heard of their 

 being shot as late as the tenth of November. The doe bird feeds on 

 grasshoppers and other insects, berries and seeds, and, as you know, is 

 one of our greatest table delicacies." 



" Yes," said the Doctor, " in my opinion it is equal in flavor to a wood- 

 cock or an upland plover." 



" The black-bellied plover, or beetle-head, is another well-known bird," 

 said the Judge, but I have always been somewhat mixed in regard to its 

 plumage, the golden plover resembles it so much." 



"Yes," I replied, "and yet when placed side by side the birds can be 

 readily identified.* 



*Eor the benefit of those who have difficulty in distinguishing these 

 birds I append the following descriptions from the " Birds of New Eng- 

 land."— E. A. S. 



Black-bellied plover. Adult. Bill strong, along the gape, one inch 

 and five eighths, black, shorter than the head ; legs strong, black ; wings long ; 

 a very small rudimentary hind toe ; around the base of the bill to the eyes, 

 neck, before and under parts of the body, black ; upper, white, nearly pure, 



