AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



HABITS. 



This is the largest of the American Curlews, and also of that class des- 

 ignated as wading birds. He has no disagreeable traits whatever, still 

 he is very unfortunate in several particulars. He has the misfortune to 

 be classed by the sporting fraternity as a game bird, a misfortune that 

 costs all birds, of whatever species, dearly, and that hits this bird rather 

 more severly than some others. Another characteristic that often proves 

 disastrous to the safety of the bird is its sympathetic nature. A sports- 

 man, who enjoys his annual vacation, shooting shore birds on the South 

 Atlantic coast has given a few notes on these birds from his point of 

 view. 



These long-billed waders feed principally upon worms and small shell 

 fish. These latter they obtain at low water on the mud flats that are 

 laid bare at this time. When the returning waters cover these feeding 

 grounds they retire to the meadows further inland and search for worms. 

 Just above high water mark on one of these flats, the sportsmen had 

 constructed a blind of driftwood and seaweed. For several days these 

 men could be found in close proximity to this refuge. One morning as 

 they were waiting for the flight of birds to commence, they saw coming 

 a flock of about twenty large birds of the Plover family. They were fly- 

 ing in the form of a letter V, with the point forwards, and as they pass- 

 ed by just out of gun shot, they were able to identify them, by means of 

 their extremely long curved bills, as the Long-billed or as the sports- 

 men know them, "Sickle-billed" or "Spanish" Curlews. 



As they passed they were uttering a whistle, something like "ker-lee"; 

 an imitation of this call, caused the entire flock to wheel about and cir- 

 cle over the blind, and several fell as the four shots, fired by the two 

 men, rang out. Instead of being frightened away, as most birds would 

 have been, the remainder of the flock circled back time after time as 

 though to encourage the wounded birds that lay, calling, on the beach, 

 to rise and follow them. Of course each time as they went within gun- 

 shot of the blind, several shots would be fired, and the result was that 

 the men came home well satisfied with their score, and without giving a 

 thought as to how long any of the birds would be left under this whole- 

 sale destruction. They got fourteen out of the twenty. 



In considering this matter strictly in accordance with the law, this 

 wholesale slaughter is justifiable, but as a lover of birds said to me only 

 the other day, in speaking of the scarcity of game birds: "Well, if the 

 birds had the power to talk, they would put up quite an argument as to 

 why they should be allowed to live." 



