TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 355 



Chappell in the beginning of the nineteenth century, while on his 

 voyage in the ship Rosamond notes " a sort of Curlew makes its 

 appearance here about the middle of August, and as suddenly takes 

 its departure towards the end of September; they move in flights 

 containing many thousands; and when gorged with food, it is not 

 unusual to kill ten or twelve at a shot; at such times they are found 

 to be exceedingly plump and delicate, and far surpassing any of our 

 English Game in richness and flavour." 



Audubon first met with this bird at Bras d' Or on August 3, 1833, 

 when it arrived from the north. His description in his Labrador 

 journal is as follows: "This afternoon we all went ashore, through 

 a high and frightful sea which drenched us to the skin, and went to the 

 table-lands; there we found the true Esquimau Curlew, Numenius 

 borealis, so carelessly described in Bonaparte's Synopsis. This species 

 here takes the place of the Migratory Pigeon; it has now arrived; 

 I have seen many hundreds this afternoon, and shot seven. They 

 fly in compact bodies with beautiful evolutions, overlooking a great 

 extent of country ere they make choice of a spot on which to alight; 

 this is done wherever a certain berry, called here 'Curlew berry' 

 proves to be abundant. Here they balance themselves, call, whistle, 

 and of common accord come to the ground, as the top of the country 

 here must be called. They devour every berry, and if pursued squat 

 in the manner of partridges. A single shot starts the whole flock; 

 off they fly, ramble overhead for a great distance ere they again alight. 

 This rambling is caused by the scarcity of berries." And again on 

 August 4th: "This species of Curlew, the smallest I ever saw, feeds 

 on the berries it procures, with a rapidity equalled only by that of the 

 Passenger Pigeon; in an instant all the ripe berries on the plant are 

 plucked and swallowed, and the whole country is cleared of these 

 berries as our western woods are of the mast. In their evolutions 

 they resemble Pigeons also, sweeping over the ground, cutting back- 

 ward and forward in the most interesting manner, and now and then 

 poising in the air like a Hawk in sight of quarry." 



On August 10th he notes: "Curlews have increased in numbers, 

 but during two fair days we had they could not be approached; indeed 

 they appear to be so intent on their passage south that whenever the 

 weather permits they are seen to strike high in the air across the har- 

 bor." 



Tucker, who visited Labrador in 1838, says: "The curlews are 



