264. Long-billed Curlew. 
Numenius americanus. 
Range. — Breeds in the South Atlantic states 
and northward in the interior to Manitoba and 
British Columbia. 
This is the largest of the family of shore birds, 
having a length of about 24 inches. Its plumage 
is of a buffy color, much variegated above with 
black and brown; the bill is strongly curved down- 
ward and is from four to eight inches in length. 
Their nests are located on the ground in meadows 
Greenish buff. 
or on the prairies, and three or four eggs are laid, 
of a buff or greenish buff color, covered with 
numerous spots of brownish black. Eggs of the 
common Curlew of Europe, have been very fre- 
quently used as belonging to this species, but the 
eggs of our species have a lighter and more 
greenish ground, and the spots are smaller and 
more numerous. Size, 2.50 x 1.80. 
SHORE BIRDS 
Long-billed Curlew. 
Hudsonian Curlew. 
265. Hudsonian Curlew. Numenius hudsonicus. 
Range. — Whole of North America, 
tering south of the United States. 
This species is smaller (length 
17 inches), darker, more grayish 
and has a shorter bill than the pre- 
ceding species. It also has white 
median and lateral stripes on the 
top of the head. The nesting hab- 
its are the same as those of the 
Long-billed species; the three or 
four eggs have a brownish bulf 
ground color and are blotched with 
blackish brown. Size 2.25 x 1.60. 
Data. — McKenzie River, Arctic 
America. Nest a pile of grass, 
moss and weeds on an island in 
the river. 
breeding in the Arctic regions and win- 
Brownish buffi. 
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