BIRDS. 121 



no more until the following season. It migrates, to some extent, by way of Sitka, where Bischoff 

 took a specimen. It occurs throughout the Alaskan mainland, but is unknown on the islands of 

 Bering Sea. Dall found it common about the Yukon mouth in spriug, and records its farofite 

 attitude to be perching, with one leg drawn up, on a high stump, piece of drift-wood, or even an 

 alder bush. 



The adult spriug birds have the feathers on the back with dark centers and regular and rather 

 obscure edgings of buffy brown. Autumnal birds, especially the young, have the edgings of the 

 dorsal-feathers broken into distinct spots of buffy, which encroach on the dark centers, and pro- 

 duce a much brighter and more variegated pattern than is seen on the adult. The bills of the 

 birds of the year are also much slenderer and shorter than in the adult. Below, adult and young 

 are much alike. 



Along the Arctic coast of British America these Curlews are abundant, and in winter they 

 extend their range far into South America. 



NUMBNiTJS BOEEALis (Forst.). Eskimo Curlew (Bsk. Pi-pt-pi-iik). 



This is the most abundant Curlew in Northern Alaska, especially 'along the coasts of Bering 

 Sea and Kotzebue Sound. It has been found by various collectors at Fort Yukon, and I received 

 a few specimens from Kulato. Murdoch reports it an irregular summer visitant at Point Barrow, 

 where it arrives by May 20. 



On May 12, 1878, at Saint Michaels, a number were seen passing to the north, and from this 

 date on through the month they occur, frequently in considerable numbers, in the vicinity of that 

 place. 



They are always more numerous than hudsonicus, and sometimes flocks of one hundred and 

 fifty or more are seen, though generally they occur in smaller parties of twenty-five or less. 



Their haunts, habits, and food are almost precisely like those of their larger relative. But very 

 few remain to breed so far south as Saint Michaels, but by the last of May nearly all have, like 

 hudsonicus, passed north to breed within the Arctic Circle. With the preceding species they return 

 at the end of July or first of August to feed and grow fat on the blue-berries and the fruit of 

 the heath {Emjpetrum nigrum), which begin to ripen on the hill-sides. They are less suspicious 

 than their larger companions, and generally may be approached without difficulty. 



In common with many of the snipe kind this bird appears to feel more confident under the 

 leadership of a larger species, and a dozen or so will follow the wanderings of a single hudsonicus 

 all about the country, just as small flocks of Sandpipers will frequently join their fortunes with 

 those of a solitary bird of this species, and so it runs down the scale. This peculiarity among 

 birds may result from an appreciation of the greater watchfulness which characterizes the species 

 of larger size, and the safety thus secured. Both this and the preceding eat berries continually 

 in fall and often have the entire lower surface of the body stained a purplish shade. 



This bird remains later in autumn than the Hudsonian Curlew, and is sometimes found on 

 the grass and moss-covered uplands until about the middle of September. 



Ntjmenius tahitiensis (Gmel.). Bristle-thighed Curlew (Bsk. MUg-u-nd-dJch-tai- 

 u-li). 



On May 24, 1880, while I was shooting Black Brant, a pair of these birds settled near by on a 

 rising stretch of land covered with large tussocks. They uttered a loud whistling call-note very 

 much like that of hudsonicus, but something in their general appearance led me to stalk and 

 secure one of the birds. To my gratification it was a Bristle-thighed Curlew, and I made great 

 efforts to secure the mate, which had stopped a hundred yards or so beyond. As she raised on my 

 approach I fired at long range and the bird fell mortally hurt on a distant hill-side, where it was 

 lost amid a host of large tussocks. 



The specimen secured was a male in fine plumage, and this is the second known instance of 

 the bird's occurrence on our shores, the former record resting on the capture of a specimen at 

 Kadiak Island by Bischoff", as announced by Mr. Eidgway in the American Naturalist for July, 

 S. Mis. 156 10 



