proLOPAnn.E — the rxipk KA^f m,y — limosa. 



2G1 



This opecies roseinl)^^ Romowhiit tliu Europpnn L. mjncrphnla, hnving the tnil marki'd imicli tlic 

 >,iiiit' as ill thai «iit'ci«'K. Tht- hittir, however, ha** two while ]iatches on the wiu^' (whicii in the 

 incseiit hinl lias no wiiite at all, excejil ilie shal'ls ol'ihe i>riiiiaiie-). the iixillai-s jime wliiti' iiislead 

 ,.| liidwiii^li iihuk. 'I'lieru ail' ali-o other iliircii'nres of coloiatioii, while the proportions aru i|uite 

 (hHeivnt, //. iiiji.ci fili'ihi liaviiij,' ihi' hill and lej,'s niiich !oii;,'i'r. 



Soiiih Anii'riiau speiiineiis are (|iiite identical witji northern ones. 



Much leiniiins to lie iisccrtaiiii'd litdorc tli<' liistorv of tlie liiiliits and distrilmtion 

 ol tliis (iddwit can lie ^dvcii witii tidcraldc accuracy or coniplctcnt'ss. It appt'iirs to 

 have a soincwliat irrcj^iiiar distrilmtioii over tin- I'nited States, occiirriii(j; in soino 

 seasons in jjrcat ahiindaiicc in ri'j,'ions w here it was not known before, or where, in 

 .-.iircpcdinj,' years, it has heeii of only irrei,'uhir and occasional appearance. In the 

 I lilted States it is only known as niif,'ratory. hrccdinj,' north of the limits of the 

 Iniou, and in rejjions farther north than those in which the /(■</'«/ has heeii found. 

 li> presence in rata,u-oiiia. as also in the Falkland Islands, is eipially siij,'fjestivc of a 

 wide, and perhaps irre}{iilar. disti'lljiitioii. 



It is not ^,'iven liy Dr. (inndlacli as occurring,' in Cuba; Init is mentioned by I/'o- 

 taiid as one (d' the birils of the Island of Trinidad, where it is spoken of as ninch more 

 romiiioii than \\\v fnlim, coming' in Aiij,'iist. and leaving' in Octolier. It is always 

 Iniiiid in either the imniatnre or the winter ]>liima^e. and is only to i)e met with on 

 ilic iiorders (d' the sea. 



.Mr. (r. (". Taylor mentions lindin;.; this siiecies abundant on the shores of Fonspoa 

 I lay. where it is in the habit of sittinj,' on the braindies of the manKi'ove-trces wliieh 

 ovcrhani,' the water, lie considered it excellent eating'. 



Mr. 11. Diirnford ("Ibis." 1S77. p. I.">). in his Observations relative to the Hirds 

 observed by him in the Valley of the Cluiiiat. in l*ata,i,'onia. states that diiritij,' his 

 visit there in November, 1S7<>. a small partv of this (iodwit was always to be found 

 ill tiie shallow water at the west end of a larf,'e lagoon to the north of the village. 

 Tliey weri' feeding,' in company with 7V///'/'( Hiintiliifii and a species — nnidentitied — 

 of .KiiiiiHtls. ( )n the l.'ith (d' Novcndier he procured two examples. 



Mr, ('. ('. .Miboft (■ Ibis," |S(»1) mentions tindinjj; Hocks of tliis species at Mare 

 Harbor, l''alkland Islands, in the month of Ma\, iSCdi, He shot two of them at I'ort 

 bonis on the L'Oth of that month. Uoth had the red-barred breast, and were therefore 

 ill the winter plnmaoe. |I,. djd not notice the presciuM- (d' this bird in those islands 

 during,' the winter nninths; and even when found there in the ^'UlnuleI•, he lia.s never 

 lirard of its ei,".is liavinj,' been detected. It was veiy wary, and 'iHicult to )irocnre, 



Ilearin'. in his book < f .Vrctic tr,iv(ds. jniblished more than a century since, rcd'er- 

 riii},' to this species as the •• |{ed (iodwaite." states that it was then j,'enerally known 

 at the more northern M'ttlenuMits on Hudson's 15ay as a I'lovcr. He mentions that 

 it visited the shores of that portion of the bay in very larj,'e Hocks, and usually fre- 

 i|uented the marshes and the mar.uins of ponds. It also frequently atteinled the tide, 

 ill the manner of the •• Ks<|uimaux Curlew" (Siinienliis J/iit/sonii'iis), Hying down to 

 the water's edge and feeding on a small tish iiot inueh unlike a sliviiup; but as the 

 tiih" advaiu'es, retiring to the marshes. The birds were said to Hy in siudi large 

 Hocks, and so elo.sidy together, that he was often able to kill as many as twelve at 

 one shot. And he further states that a ^Ir. Anderson, long a resiih'iit at Fort Vork, 

 actually killed seventy-two of this species at one discharge; but this was after they 

 liiid alighted on the shore. Near t'hurchill Kiver they were stddom very fat, though 

 ill tolerable eimdition. and they were said to 1m> generally very good eating. They 

 usually weighed from ten to thirteen ouiu'es. The two sexes differ Intth in color and 

 size, the female \mng always larger and of a much lighter brown than the male. 



il 



11 



