40 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
autumn, like most of the shore-birds, it gets very fat, and is 
excellent food. With the bay-men it is familiar by the *ftame 
of 1 Beach Bird.’ ”— Giraud’s Birds of Long Island. 
In addition to these we have the well-known, common and 
beautiful variety, the Killdeer Plover, Cliaradrius Vociferus , 
so named from its peculiar cry, which it is both cruel and use¬ 
less to kill, as it is too insignificant to be regarded as game; 
the Rocky Mountain Plover, Cliaradrius Montanus , which 
is too rare, and Wilson’s Plover, Cliaradrius Wilsonius, too 
humble to be regarded as game. 
The Phalaropes and Lobefoots come under the same 
predicament with the varieties of Plover last named, and we 
shall accordingly pass on to the Curlews, three varieties of 
which are commonly killed along our shores, not considering 
the Avoset, Recurvirostra Americana , known by gunners as 
the “ Blue Stocking,” or the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus 
Nigricollis, or “ Lawyer,” as he is sometimes called, worthy of 
any notice beyond the mention of their names, although they 
are often shot with other varieties of shore-birds. 
CURLEWS. 
No. 1 . The Long-billed Curlew, or Sickle-bill— Nume - 
nius Longirostris. 
“ Specific Character .—Bill toward the end decurved; upper 
part of the throat, and a band from the bill to the eye, light- 
buff ; general plumage pale reddish-brown; head and neck 
streaked with dusky ; upper parts marked with blackish-brown; 
tail barred with the same; abdomen plain reddish-brown ; feet 
bluish. Length twenty-six inches, wing eleven. The bill of 
the specimen from which this description is taken, measures 
eight inches. The bills of individuals of this species vary, but 
the length is at all times sufficient to determine the species. 
