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THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 



NUMENJUS LONGIROSTRIS, WiLS. 

 PLATE CCXXXI. Male and Female. 



The Long-billed Curlew is a constant resident in the southern dis' 

 tricts of the United States, whereas the other species are only autumnal 

 and winter visitors. It is well known by the inhabitants of Charleston 

 that it breeds on the islands on the coast of South Carolina ; and my 

 friend the Reverend John Bachman has been at their breeding grovmds. 

 That some individuals go far north to breed, is possible enough, but we 

 have no authentic account of such an occurrence, although many supposi- 

 tions have been recorded. All that I have to say on this subject is, that 

 the bird in question is quite unknown in the Magdeleine Islands, where, 

 notwithstanding the assertions of the fishermen, they acknowledged that 

 they had mistaken Godwits for Curlews. In Newfoundland, I met with 

 a well-informed English gentleman, who had resided in that island up- 

 wards of twenty years, and described the Common Curlew of Europe 

 with accuracy, but who assured me that he had observed only two species 

 of Curlew there, one about the size of the Whimbrel — the Ntimenius 

 Titidsonicus, the other smaller — the N. borealis, and that only in August 

 and the beginning of September, when they spend a few days in that 

 country, feed on berries, and then retire southward. Mr Jones of Lab- 

 rador, and his brother-in-law, who is a Scotch gentleman, a scholar, and 

 a sportsman, gave me the same account. None of my party observed an 

 individual of the species in the course of our three months' stay in the 

 country, although we saw great numbers of the true Esquimaux Curlew, 

 N. borealis. Yet I would not have you to suppose that I do not give 

 credit to the reports of some travellers, who have said that the Long-billed 

 Curlew is found in the fur countries during summer. This may be true 

 enough ; but none of the great northern travellers, such as Richardson, 

 Ross, Parry, or Franklin, have asserted this as a fact. Therefore if 

 the bird of which I speak has been seen far north, it was in all probabi- 

 lity a few stragglers that had perhaps been enticed to follow some other 

 species. I am well aware of the propensity it has to ramble, as I have 

 shot some in Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi ; 



