35 



THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 



-f-NuMENITTS LONGIROSTRIS, WUs. 



PLATE CCCLV Male and Female. 



The Long-billed Curlew is a constant resident in the southern districts of 

 the United States, whereas the other species are only autumnal and winter 

 visiters. It is well known by the inhabitants of Charleston that it breeds on 

 the islands on the coast of South Carolina; and my friend the Reverend 

 John Bachjian has been at their breeding grounds. That some individuals 

 go far north to breed, is possible enough, but we have no authentic account 

 of such an occurrence, although many suppositions have been recorded. 

 All that I have to say on this subject is, that the bird in question is quite 

 unknown in the Magdeleine Islands, where, notwithstanding the assertions 

 of the fishermen, they acknowledged that they had mistaken Godwits for 

 Curlews. In Newfoundland, I met with a well-informed English gentleman, 

 who had resided in that island upwards of twenty years, and described the 

 Common Curlew of Europe with accuracy, but who assured me that he had 

 observed only two species of Curlew there, one about the size of the Whim- 

 brel — the Numenius hudsonicus, the other smaller — the N. borealis, and 

 that only in August and the beginning of September, when they spend a few 

 days in that country, feed on berries, and then retire southward. Mr. Jones 

 of Labrador, and his brother-in-law, who is a Scotch gentleman, a scholar, 

 and a sportsman, gave me the same account. None of my party observed an 

 individual of the species in the course of our three months' stay in the coun- 

 try, although we saw great numbers of the true Esquimaux Curlew, N, bo- 

 realis. Yet I would not have you to suppose that I do not give credit to 

 the reports of some travellers, who have said that the Long-billed Curlew is 

 found in the fur countries during summer. This may be true enough; but 

 none of the great northern travellers, such as Richardson, Ross, Parry, or 

 Franklin, have asserted this as a fact. Therefore if the bird of which I 

 speak has been seen far north, it was in all probability a few stragglers that 

 had perhaps been enticed to follow some other species. I am well aware of 

 the propensity it has to ramble, as I have shot some in Missouri, Indiana, 

 Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi; but the birds thus obtained were rare 

 in those districts, where the species only appears at remote periods; and in 



