COUES ON BIRDS OF DAKOTA AND MONTANA. 



645 



List of specimrvs—Ccintmned. 



NUMEI^IUS LONGIROSTEIS, Wils. 



Long-billed Curlew. 

 Breeds iu moderate numbers abont Pembina, the only locality where 

 it was observed daring the first season. The nest year it was found in 

 profusion over the prairie adjoining the Missouri above Buford, and the 

 lower portions of the Milk River and its tributaries. It seemed, like 

 the Bartramian Tattler, to affect particular localities, where colonies of 

 twenty or thirty pairs would take up their abode for the summer, and 

 make the air resound with their piercing and peculiarly lugubrious cries 

 when disturbed. They were found decidedly shy and watchful ; and 

 being naturally stout, tough birds, they proved rather hard to kill. 

 One of the most disastrous shooting exploits I ever attempted was 

 directed against these same birds, as some of my friends who witnessed 

 the discouraging negative results will remember. There seems to be a 

 considerable latitude in the period of laying j I took a fresh set of eggs 

 July 4th, having the day previous captured some young birds. 



List of specimens. 



