﻿340 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  begin 
  sometimes 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  the 
  2d 
  of 
  July, 
  but 
  usually 
  from 
  

   the 
  1 
  8th 
  to 
  the 
  25th, 
  and 
  the 
  last 
  birds 
  are 
  seen 
  from 
  the 
  i6th 
  to 
  the 
  30th 
  

   of 
  September, 
  the 
  largest 
  flights 
  usually 
  occurring 
  between 
  August 
  ist 
  

   and 
  September 
  loth. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  rarely 
  seen, 
  but 
  Mr 
  

   Butcher's 
  Notes 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  migration 
  occurs 
  between 
  the 
  6th 
  and 
  the 
  

   30th 
  of 
  Mav. 
  In 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  the 
  Jack 
  curlew 
  is 
  less 
  common 
  

   than 
  along 
  the 
  coast, 
  the 
  following 
  being 
  the 
  definite 
  records: 
  

  

  Brockport, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Oct. 
  10. 
  1880. 
  (3). 
  David 
  Bruce 
  

  

  Union 
  Springs, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1882. 
  R. 
  B. 
  Hough 
  

  

  Yates 
  CO., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  May 
  1884. 
  (13)- 
  Verdi 
  Burt 
  eh 
  

  

  West 
  Seneca, 
  Erie 
  co., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Aug. 
  24, 
  1880. 
  James 
  Savage 
  

  

  Lake 
  Ontario, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  10, 
  1889, 
  David 
  Bruce 
  

  

  Branchport, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  May 
  29-June 
  2, 
  1895. 
  (5). 
  C. 
  F. 
  Stone 
  

  

  Canandaigna, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  May 
  30, 
  1897. 
  (Several). 
  Hallenbeck 
  and 
  Newman 
  

  

  Orleans 
  co., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  1897. 
  Posson, 
  Auk, 
  16:195 
  

  

  Oneida 
  Lake, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  5, 
  1899. 
  Bagg, 
  Auk, 
  17:177 
  

  

  In 
  Giraud's 
  day 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  less 
  abundant 
  than 
  the 
  Long-billed 
  

   curlew 
  on 
  Long 
  Island, 
  but 
  the 
  reverse 
  is 
  now 
  the 
  case. 
  In 
  fact 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  

   only 
  curlew 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day. 
  It 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  see 
  why 
  the 
  

   Long-billed 
  curlew 
  diminished 
  in 
  numbers 
  as 
  its 
  nesting 
  grounds 
  have 
  been 
  

   largely 
  destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  northwest, 
  but 
  the 
  

   present 
  species, 
  breeding 
  practically 
  beyond 
  the 
  disturbing 
  influence 
  of 
  

   mankind, 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  preserved 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  to 
  come. 
  

  

  The 
  Jack, 
  or 
  Short-billed 
  curlew, 
  as 
  the 
  gunners 
  call 
  this 
  bird, 
  has 
  an 
  

   easy, 
  steady 
  flight, 
  rarely 
  soaring 
  except 
  when 
  about 
  to 
  alight, 
  or 
  suddenly 
  

   arrested 
  by 
  an 
  imitation 
  of 
  its 
  whistle. 
  Like 
  the 
  Long-billed 
  curlew, 
  it 
  

   exhibits 
  much 
  sympathy 
  for 
  wounded 
  companions, 
  often 
  sacrificing 
  its 
  life 
  

   by 
  returning 
  in 
  answer 
  to 
  their 
  cries. 
  Its 
  flesh 
  is 
  much 
  inferior 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  Eskimo 
  curlew, 
  being 
  quite 
  unpalatable, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  when 
  it 
  has 
  

   fed 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  on 
  berries 
  and 
  grasshoppers. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  amateur 
  bird 
  student 
  first 
  meets 
  with 
  this 
  species, 
  he 
  is 
  

   a])t 
  to 
  believe 
  he 
  has 
  seen 
  a 
  Long-billed 
  curlew, 
  its 
  size 
  and 
  long 
  bill, 
  though 
  

   much 
  inferior 
  to 
  that 
  species, 
  being 
  quite 
  impressive 
  when 
  compared 
  with 
  

   our 
  commoner 
  shore 
  birds. 
  

  

  