TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 
355 
Chappell in the beginning of the nineteenth century, while on his 
voyage in the ship Rosamond notes “ a sort of Curlew makes its 
appearance here about the middle of August , and as suddenly takes 
its departure towards the end of September; they move in flights 
containing many thousands; and when gorged with food, it is not 
unusual to kill ten or twelve at a shot; at such times they are found 
to be exceedingly plump and delicate, and far surpassing any of our 
English Game in richness and flavour.” 
Audubon first met with this bird at Bras d’ Or on August 3, 1833, 
when it arrived from the north. His description in his Labrador 
journal is as follows: “This afternoon we all went ashore, through 
a high and frightful sea which drenched us to the skin, and went to the 
table-lands; there we found the true Esquimau Curlew, Numenius 
borealis, so carelessly described in Bonaparte’s Synopsis. This species 
here takes the place of the Migratory Pigeon; it has now arrived; 
I have seen many hundreds this afternoon, and shot seven. They 
fly in compact bodies with beautiful evolutions, overlooking a great 
extent of country ere they make choice of a spot on which to alight; 
this is done wherever a certain berry, called here ‘Curlew berry’ 
proves to be abundant. Here they balance themselves, call, whistle, 
and of common accord come to the ground, as the top of the country 
here must be called. They devour every berry, and if pursued squat 
in the manner of partridges. A single shot starts the whole flock; 
off they fly, ramble overhead for a great distance ere they again alight. 
This rambling is caused by the scarcity of berries.” And again on 
August 4th: “This species of Curlew, the smallest I ever saw, feeds 
on the berries it procures, with a rapidity equalled only by that of the 
Passenger Pigeon; in an instant all the ripe berries on the plant are 
plucked and swallowed, and the whole country is cleared of these 
berries as our western woods are of the mast. In their evolutions 
they resemble Pigeons also, sweeping over the ground, cutting back¬ 
ward and forward in the most interesting manner, and now and then 
poising in the air like a Hawk in sight of quarry.” 
On August 10th he notes: “Curlews have increased in numbers, 
but during two fair days we had they could not be approached; indeed 
they appear to be so intent on their passage south that whenever the 
weather permits they are seen to strike high in the air across the har¬ 
bor.” 
Tucker, who visited Labrador in 1838, says: “The curlews are 
