494 BIRDS — TANTALID^. 



protracted, and is performed with regular rapid beats. They never sail, except when 

 about to alight, when the wings are much incurved downward, in the manner of most 

 wadera. As their feet touch the ground, their long, pointed wings are raised over the 

 back, until the tips almost touch, and then deliberately folded, much in the manner of the 

 Solitary Sandpiper {Bhyacophilus aolitariua). Their note is an often-repeated, soft, 

 mellow, though clear, whistle, which may be easily imitated. By this means they can 

 readily be decoyed within shot, if the imitation is good and the gunner is careful to keep 

 concealed. The smaller the flock the mora easily are they allured, and a single indi- 

 vidual rarely fails to turn his course toward the spot whence the sound proceeds. When 

 in very extensive flocks, they have a note which, when uttered by the whole number, I 

 can compare to nothing but the chattering of a flock of Blackbirds. When wounded 

 and taken in hand, they emit a very loud, harsh scream, like that of a common hen 

 under similar circumstances, which ory they also utter when pursued. 



"Their food consists almost entirely of the cow-berry (JSmpetrum Mi^rwrn), which 

 grows on all the hill-sides in astonishing profusion. It is also called the ' bear-berry ' 

 and ' curlew-berry.' It is a small berry, of a deep purple color, almost black, growing 

 upon a proommbent, runnteg kind of heath, the foIlagB of which has a peculiar moss-like 

 appearance. ITiis is their principal and favorite food, and the ;giole intestine, the vent, 

 the legs, the bill, throat, and even the plumage, are mnre or lees stained with the deep 

 purple juice. They are also very fond of a species of small snail that adheres to the rock 

 in immense quantities, to procure which they frequent the land- washes at low tide. 

 Food being so abundant, and so easily obtained, tihey become excessiTely fat. In this 

 condition they are most delicious eating, being tender, juicy, and finely flavored ; but, 

 as might be expected, they prove a very difacnlt job for the taxidermist. 



" Although the Curlews were in such vast numbers, I did not find them so tame as 

 might be expected, and as I had been led to suppose by previous representations. I was 

 never able to walk openly within shooting distance of a flock, though I was told it was 

 often done. The most successful method of obtaining them is to take such a position as 

 they will probably fly over in passing from one feeding ground to another. They may 

 then be shot with ease, a« they rarely fly high at such time. The pertinacity with 

 which they cling to certain feeding grounds, even when much molested, I saw strikingly 

 illnstroted on one occasion. The tide was rising and about to flood a muddy flat, of per- 

 haps an acre in e:^ent, where their favorite snails were in great quantities. Although 

 six or eight gunners were stationed upon the spot, and kept np a continual round of fir- 

 ing upon the poor birds, they continued to fly distractedly about over our heads, not- 

 withstanding the numbers that every moment fell. They seemed in terror lest they 

 should lose their aocugtomed fare of snails that day. On another occasion, when the 

 birds had been so harassed for several hours m to deprive them of all opportunity of 

 feeding, great numbers of the^n retired to a very small island, or rather a large pile of 

 rooks, a few hundred yards from the shore, covered with sea- weed and, of course, with 

 snails. Flock after flock alighted on it, till it was completely covered with the birds, 

 which there, in perfect safety, obtained their morning meal." 



Of their nest and eggs, he sayB (Birds N. W., p. 512) : 



" This species breeds in great numbers in the Anderson River region, usually making 

 up its nest complement of four eggs by the third week in June. The nest is generally 

 in an open plain, and is a mere depression of the ground, lined with a few dried leaves 

 or grasses. The eggs vary to the great extent usually witnessed among waders. The 

 ground is oUve-drab, tending either to green, gray, or brown in difierent instances. 



