TIIE LOttG-BILLED CURLEW. 



321 



THE LOXG-BILLED CUBLEW. 



The Long-Billed Curlew is seen in the marshes of New Jersey 

 about the middle of May, on its way further north: and in September, 

 or the latter end of August, on their return from their breeding places. 

 Their southern migrations, in all probability, are bounded by the 

 chores of the Mexican Gulf. Like most species of the genus, they 

 retire into the desolate regions of the north to breed. According to 

 Wilson, a few instances have been known, of one or two pairs re- 

 maining in the salt marshes of Cape May the whole summer; and 

 they were believed to nest there on the ground, laying four eggs in 

 size and color much resembling those of the Clapper Rail. Indeed, 

 it will probably be found, that many birds, now supposed to'pass the 

 period of reproduction, in the remote regions of the north, only sep- 

 arate into solitary pairs, and disperse themselves through the vast 

 wilds of the interior of North America. 



The Long-Billed Curlews fly high and rapid, generally throwing 

 themselves, when in company, into an angular wedge, after the man- 

 ner of Wild Geese; uttering, as they fly, and when at all alarmed, a 

 loud, short, whistling, and almost barking note, sometimes, as in 

 other species of the family, strongly resembling the sibilation of the 

 word kurlew, and from, whence they derive their characteristic name, 

 adopted into so 

 many of the Eu- 

 ropean languages. 

 By a dexterous 

 imitation of this 

 note, a whole flock 

 may sometimes be 

 enticed within gun 

 shot; while the 

 cries of the wound- 

 ed continue the 

 sympathetic entice- 

 ment, until the 

 fowler, repeating 

 his shots, carries 

 havoc among the 

 quailing throng. 

 Their food consists 

 principally of in- 

 sects, worms, and 

 small Crabs. The 

 young and old, 

 also, on their arri- 

 val from the north, where they feed on various kinds of berries, still 

 continue their fondness for this kind of food, and now frequent the 

 uplands and pastures in quest of the fruit of the bramble, particu- 

 larly dew-berries, on which they get so remarkably fat, at times, as 

 to burst the skin in falling to the ground, and are then very superior 

 in flavor to almost any other game bird of the season. 



LONG-BILLED CURLTVT. 



