SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNTPE FAMILY — NUMENIUP. 



313 



noil with water. Noar Fort Lapwai tliis bird breeds on hi,i,di and (by i)rairii\s several 

 miles from lake or river. It also breeds in Southern Arizona near Snlpimr S])rinj,'s, 

 tliirty miles west (d' Camp Howie. Tlie e,i,',!;s are saiil to vary i^reatly in sliape, size, 

 and coloration, even in tiie sanii' nest. averaj,dn.L,' L'.dO l>y 1.7-1 inelies. These birds 

 congregate in large flocks before migrating, and liave all left b_v the 1st of August. 

 They feed chiefly on crickets. 



Lieutenant M'Cauley refers to this speeies as being generally distributed over 

 Kiiiisas. the Indian Territory, and the Ued IJiver liegion of Texas. He found it 

 breeding in June, and very (damorous when the nests were approached. 



Mr. Ividgway also met with Curlews whi;di he had no (hiui)t were of this species, 

 during the s])ring and suunner, along the Truckee Uiver. In the neighborhood of 

 Great Salt Lake they were also nuu'e or less abundant during the summer, in all the 

 wet and grassy places. Several young j\ist hatched were caught mar the camp on 

 Anteloiic Islaml. Mr. J. A. Allen nu't with a single small c(dony of these birds in 

 tlir western jKU'tion of Kansas, near Fort Hays. This was late in May, and the birds 

 were evidently breeding. 



.Mr. Salvin nu't with ()ceasi<uial s])ecimens about tlu^ lagoons of Chiapam, on the 

 I'aeitic coast. It was usually inciuupany with, but not so nunu'rous as. the Xitmenlus 

 Hii</.io>urHs. He also obtained a single specinu'U at Ducnas, in the interior. f)n the 

 Atlantic coast it is of coni])aratively rare occurrence. iMr. lloardman informs me 

 tiiat occasional examples have been taken on the St. Croix Itiver, as far uj) as Calais; 

 luid. as it is not uncommon on I'rince Edward's Island, it (piite possibly may 1m^ met 

 wiili on the sea-eoast of Nova Scotia. It is seen about Calais, but only near the 

 close of suunner. in the month of August. At the sauu' season examples liave ln'cii 

 tidicn on the ^lassaiduisetts coast ; and — so far as L am aware — at no other tiuw. 



Mr. IJoardman has been infornu'd, on good authority, that this bird breeds regu- 

 larly in considerable numbers on I'rince J'Mward's Island; and this fact accounts for 

 ils (Mcasioual appearance on the New I'higland coast. 



(iiraud in(dudes the Long-billed Curlew anuuig the birds of Long Island, "where it 

 is (iccasionally found frecjuentiug the uualdy shores of the beaches and nuxrshes, eol- 

 Icctiug minute sludltish. which, with worms and vari(ms insects, constitute its food. 

 When moving about in iloidvs it is said to fly nuudi after the nuinner of the Wild 

 (Idiise, its leader uttering a jjcculiarly hoarse dull note, whiidi maybe easily and 

 (■n'cctively imitated, as tlus bird is ])roverbial for answering the fowler's call when 

 at a greater distance from his decoy than any other shore-bird. AVhen a])])roa(diing, 

 and near to the decoys, it spreads its wings and sails slowly u]). i)resenting a fail' 

 mark. Its flesh is said to be rank, and the young partake of the same flavor; but 

 this is probably true only of those which feed on the salt-nuirshes. The birds which 

 :\\v found in the interior, feeding on grassli()])])ers and berries, are regarded as a 

 i;rcat (hdicacy. This Curlew is noted for its great sym])athy with those of its 

 (iwn kind, flocks being often kept Avithin gunshot by the cries of their wounded 

 coniiianions. 



Kichai'dsou su])posed he had good reason for believing that this species frequents 

 the Saskat(dicwan I'lains and the banks of the ('(dumbia. There is said to be a speci- 

 men (d' this Curlew in the Museum of the Hud.sou's Hay Company; but the locality 

 from whi(di it was ])roeurcd is not known. 



The Limg-billed (!urlew in its general ap])earauce, and lU'obably also in nearly all 

 its specific habits, bears a very close resemblance to the Common Curlew, X. arquata, 

 of i']uro])e ; and before Wilson ])ointed out the difference between them, the two were 

 confounded together. According to Wilson, this Curlew appears in the salt-marshes 



vol. I. — 40 



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