CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 1 83 



common to the west. From May i8th to 25th these birds 

 begin to make their appearance on the coast of Norton Sound. 

 Alaska, where, however, only a very few pairs remain to nest, the 

 others passing on still farther to the north to the extended open 

 country bordering the shores of the Arctic Sea. 



Breeding Notes. — The chief breeding haunts of this bird 

 seem to be still unknown, but the fact of Hutchins speaking of it 

 shows that many of the eastern migrants must breed along the 

 south shore of Hudson Bay. 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Three specimens of this species, all taken on the island at 

 Toronto, Ont., by Mr. S. Herring. 



266. Eskimo Curlew. 



Numenius boreali's (Forst.) Lath. 1790. 



By far the most common species of Curlew on the coast of 

 Newfoundland, but a periodical visitor. {Reeks.) Casual in Green- 

 land, and not uncommon in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward 

 Island, but a rare autumn visitor in New Brunswick. A rare 

 migrant in Quebec. Accidental in Ontario ; Mr. Mcllwraith says 

 he is aware of only three specimens being taken in Ontario in 

 twenty years. 



Mr. L. M. Turner observed several large flocks of this species 

 flying over the mouth of the Koksoak River, Ungava Bay ; plen- 

 tiful in the fall in southern Labrador, but the flocks do not stop. 

 Mr. Spreadborough saw none when he made a traverse of Labra- 

 dor in July, 1896. It was found in large numbers in August, 1884, 

 by Dr. R. Bell, at Fort Churchill on Hudson Bay. 



Macfarlane found it breeding in great numbers on the Barren 

 Grounds. It is an irregular visitor at Point Barrow, and not a 

 common one, but Murdoch says it is well known to the natives. 

 Mr. Nelson reports this species to be the commonest of the 

 curlews in northern Alaska, more especially along the coasts of 

 Behring Sea and Kotzebue Sound. 



Breeding Notes. — This curlew frequents the Barren Lands 

 within the Arctic circle in summer, where it feeds on grubs and 



