42 



THE HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 



"f Numenius hudsonicus, Lath. 

 PLATE CCCLVI.— Male. 



The habits of this species, which until a few years ago was always con- 

 founded with the Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, are yet in a great 

 measure unknown. Every person who writes on American birds repeats, 

 that it arrives at Hudson's Bay, breeds farther north, &c; but none has yet 

 given any of those details so necessary to enable the student of nature to 

 judge in what respects this species resembles, or differs from others, at the 

 season of reproduction. During my visit to Labrador, I made diligent 

 inquiry respecting it and the Esquimaux Curlew, but I obtained no informa- 

 tion farther than that the latter is extremely abundant for a few weeks in 

 early autumn, and that the present species was entirely unknown. Even 

 Mr. Jones and his sons, who had probably killed thousands of the species 

 just mentioned, had never seen it in the course of their long residence at 

 Bras d'Or. Nor is our information respecting their winter retreats much 

 better, for scarcely any of them are ever seen in the colder months within the 

 limits of the United States, and their movements during their migrations are 

 more rapid than those of most water birds. In short, I am unable to present 

 you with such an account of them as I could have wished. 



I have found this species abundant on the shores of New Jersey in the 

 month of May, and there they remain a few weeks. I once saw a large 

 flock of them near Charleston, in the month of December, and I have found 

 them in the Boston market in September. None were ever seen by me in 

 any part of the interior, where, indeed, it is probable they very seldom 

 make their appearance. As I have nothing of any importance to add, I 

 shall present you with a few extracts from Wilson and Nuttale, both of 

 whom have had opportunities of observing this species. 



"The Short-billed Curlew,' 3 says the former, "arrives in large flocks on 

 the sea-coast of New Jersey early in May, from the south, frequents the salt- 

 marshes, muddy shores, and inlets, feeding on small worms and minute shell- 

 fish. They are most commonly seen on mud-flats at low water, in company 

 with various other waders; and at high water roam along the marshes. They 

 fly high, and with great rapidity. A few are seen in June, and as late as the 

 beginning of July, when they generally move off toward the north. Their 



