6 NORTH AMERICAN SHOREBIRDS. 
perform important service in destroying noxious insects. The flesh 
of many of them, even of the smaller kinds, has a high food value, 
and some of the larger species—the upland, golden, and black-bellied 
plovers, and the curlews—were in the times of. their, abundance 
important articles of ‘diet. Their pursuit’ for'sport, when they are 
shot over decoys, demands a high degree of skill, and is a favorite pas- 
time of many hunters. Norshould the esthetic side of the question be 
ignored. The graceful forms and motions of these birds as they feed 
at the edge of the breakers are an interesting sight to thousands of 
seashore visitors. The silencing of their melodious calls would, be a 
loss to every lover of nature. Finally, it may be said in their favor 
that not one of the shorebirds ever does any harm, while many have 
proved of great value to agriculture. Their accounts have only a 
credit side. 
The shorebirds are among the most widely distributed of all birds. 
As far to the northward as man has found land shorebirds breed, . 
while in winter they visit the tropical and Antarctic shores. The 
distances traversed in their migrations probably average greater 
than those of any other family, and the shorebirds probably exceed 
all others in the number of miles traveled in a single flight. 
DISTRIBUTION. 
The shorebirds are represented in North America by 76 species 
and 9 subspecies, a total of 85 recognized forms; but the following 7 
of these do not range so far north as the United States:. 
SouTHERN Species Not Raneine Norrg To THE UNITED STaTEs. 
Rufous-riaped plover (Ochthodromus wil- | Cayenne lapwing (Hoploxypterus cayanus). 
sonius rufinuchus). | | Azara ring plover (Aigialitis collaris). 
Stone curlew (Gdicnemus bistriatus). Santo. Domingo killdeer (Oxyechus vocif- 
Colombian jacana (Parra melanopygia). erus torquatus).’ 
Black jacana (Parra nigra). aa 
There remain 78 species and subspecies that occur in the United 
States and northward, but 5 of these are found only in Greenland, 
as follows: 
' European Species Occurrine in Norra AMERICA ONLY IN GREENLAND. 
European snipe (Gallinago gallinago). 
Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). 
Whimbrel (Numenius phzopus). 
Golden plover (Charadrius apricarws). 
Oyster-catcher (Hxmatopus ostralegus). 
Fifteen other species from the Eastern Hemisphere are known 
as. stragglers on the mainland of North America: 
Srracaters IN Norra AMERICA FROM THE Eastern HEMISPHERE. 
European woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). | Red-shank (Totanus totanus). 
Great snipe (Gallinago. media). . Green eandpiper (Helodromas ocrophus). 
Long-toed stint (Pisobia damacensis). Wood sandpiper (Rhyacophilus glareola), 
Dunlin (Pelidna alpina). Ruff (Pavoncella pugna) nn ee: 
Curlew sandpiper (Hrolia ferruginea). dapyng ( Vanellusivanel on 
Spoon-bill sandpiper (Zurynorhynchus Dottere (EZudromias morinellus). 
pygmeus). nee ; Little ringed pea dubia). | 
Green-shank (Glottis nebularia). Mongolian plover (Zigialitis mongola). 
