NUMENIUS BOREALIS, ESQUIMAUX CUELEW. 511 



immense numbers, in May. During the second week of that month 1 

 saw numerous flocks of fifty to several hundred on the prairies along 

 the road between Fort Eandall and Yaukton. Snow, many feet in depth, 

 still filled the ravines, where it had accumulated from the memorable 

 storm of April 15-17, but the hills and flat prairie were bare, soft, and 

 oozy, and about springing into the life of the new season. The Cur- 

 lews were scattered everywhere, dotting the prairie with the Bartramian 

 Sandpipers and Golden Plovers, in large, loose flocks, which, as they 

 fed, kept up a continuous, low, piping noise, as if conversing with each 

 other. Their return in the fall along this line of migration, I have not 

 remarked ; but my observations in Labrador, in 1860, were extended. 

 I quote from my article in the Philadelphia Proceedings, above cited : 



" The Curlews associate in flocks of every size, from three to as many 

 thousand, but they generally fly in so loose and straggling a manner 

 that it is rare to kill more than half a dozen at a shot. When they 

 wheel, however, in any of their many beautiful evolutions, they close 

 together in a more compact body, and offer a more favorable opportunity 

 to the gunner. Their flight is firm, direct, very swift, when necessary 

 much protracted, and is performed with regular, rapid beats. They 

 never sail, except when about to alight, when the wings are much in- 

 curved downward, in the manner of most waders. 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 man- 

 ner of the Solitary Sandpiper (Rhyacopliilus soUtarius). 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 more 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 chat- 

 tering 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 cry they also utter when pursued. 



"Their food consists almost eutii-ely of the crow-berry {Empctrum ni- 

 grum), 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 procumbent, run- 

 ning kind of heath, the foliage of which has a peculiar moss-like ap- 

 pearance. This is their principal and favorite food, and the whole 

 intestine, the vent, the legs, the bill, throat, and even the plumage, .are 

 more or less 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, they become excess- 

 ively fat. In this condition they are most delicious eating, being tender, 

 juicy, and finely flavored ; but, as might be expected, they prove a very 

 diflScult 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, as they rarely fly high at 

 such times. The pertenacity with which they cling to certain feeding 



