254 
ORDERS OF BIRDS— SHORE-BIRDS 
prairies of Iowa, regardless of ponds or streams, 
where it sought every sort of animal life small 
enough to be swallowed. It is easily recognized, 
even in flight, by its long, curved bill. In its 
form, its beak and its legs, it is almost a per- 
fect counterpart of a typical ibis, but it has 
the mechanically mottled plumage of a typi- 
cal shore-bird. Although by some ornitholo- 
gists this bird is credited to the whole length 
and breadth of the United States, there cer- 
tainly are some very wide regions from which 
it is totally absent. In various localities it 
has various names, some of which are Sickle- 
Bill, Saber Bill, Smoker, Spanish Curlew and 
Mowyer. 
This laird is very sympathetic toward its 
wounded mates, and in response to the cries of 
a bird that has been shot, a flock sometimes 
will return, and with loud cries circle near the 
gunner, at close range, until several more have 
been brought down. (D. G. Elliot.) 
Besides the shore-birds mentioned above, 
there are several groups which are of interest 
chiefly to the special student, and which there 
is no space to introduce here, save by name. 
There are the oyster-catchers, turnstones, god- 
wits, stilts, and phalaropes. In the Order 
Limicolae as a whole there are in North America, 
north of Mexico, about seventy-five species 
and subspecies. 
