HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 31)9 



he did quite leisurely, going only a short distance and, alighting in the shallow water, be- 

 gan to l'ee<l. 1 passed quite a large number during that tramp, all equally tame, 'besides 

 Ducks and other shore bird* in almost eountless numbers. Five or six years later, I walked 

 over the same ground, but then it was no unusual thing to hear the crack of the breech- 

 loader, where before, the sound of a gun was scarcely known, and when I got a Long- 

 billed Curlew this time, it was only by stalking it with as much caution as if it had been 

 a deer. 



The Long-billed Curlews are abundant from the Carolinas, southward, in winter, fre- 

 quenting the muddy flats which are left exposed by the tide, and probing in them with their 

 long bills, in search of animal food; but how they manage to eat with a bill, often over 

 eight inches long, with the aid of a tongue which but little exceeds an inch in length, is a 

 mystery. These Curlews migrate along the Atlantic coast during September, but I never 

 saw one in the North in spring. They breed throughout the West. 



NTJMENIUS HUDSONICUS. 



Hudson! an Curlew. 

 Numcniui Hudstmicus LATH., Ind. Orn, II.; 17DO, 712. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. CH. Form, robust. Size, medium. Tongue, short, I "20 long, somewhat fleshy, and narrowing gradually to tip 

 wlii'-h i-; pointed. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, dark-brown, lightest on rump, streaked and spotted, on neck and body, and banded on tail 



ami inner webs of primaries, with ashy-yellow. Top of head, dark-brown, with a central line and one from bill over eye, 



ashy-yellow. Beneath, ashy-yellow, streaked on neck and breast and banded on sides and under wings, with dark-brown. 



Young. Similar, but paler and the markings are not as well delined. Bill, brown, yellow at base of lower mandible, 



iris and feet, brown, in all .stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Keadily knowji from preceding species by the smaller size and paler colors and from the succeeding by the large sine 

 and banded inner webs to primaries. Distributed, in summer, throughout Arctic America. Not uncommon on the coast 

 of the Northern States in autumn. Winters south of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 17'50; stretch, 3Q-25; wing, 9'85; tail, 

 2'!K); bill, 3-50; tarsus, i>-25. Longest specimen, 18-00; greatest extent of wing, 33'50; longest wing, 10-50; tail, 305; bill, 

 4'iiO; fcit^us, sS-35. Shortest specimen, 17'00; smallest extent of wing, 33'00; shortest wing, 9'25; tail, 2'80; bill, 3'00; tar- 

 sus, 2-15. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys placed on the ground in a slight depression of the soil, on a little grass, etc., three or four in number, oval in 

 firm, varying' IV'im :is|,y-y,.|l,>w to greenish in color, spotted and blotched irregularly, and thickly, with brown and umber 

 of varying shades. Dimensions from I'50x2-20 to I'fi0i2-30. 



11 A KITS. 



The Hudsonian, or Jack Curlews of Sportsmen, make their appearance in Massachu- 

 setts, early in September, and frequent the hill-tops, in company with the Plovers and Es- 

 quimaux Curlews. Although they are far from being abundant, they cannot be considered 

 rare, as quite a number are taken every season. I do not think that the}' are much more 

 common than the Long-billed Curlews, but many more are killed each season, as they are 

 not nearly as shy. The Iludsonian Curlews occur on the coast of New Jersey, but do not 

 seem to be taken regularly south of this point, and I never met with them in Florida. These 

 Curlews appear to resemble the Ling-billed more than the Esquimaux, in habits, being 

 rather solitary, and seldom associating in tlocks of any si/e 



