42 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
gray, longitudinally streaked with brown, excepting the upper 
part of the throat, which is grayish-white ; upper parts i# gene¬ 
ral blackish-brown, marked with numerous spots of brownish- 
white, there being several along the margins of each feather; 
wings and rump somewhat lighter; upper tail coverts and tail 
barred with dark-brown and olivaceous-gray; primaries and 
their coverts blackish-brown, all with transverse yellowish-gray 
markings on the inner web ; the shaft of the first quill white—of 
the rest brown; breast and abdomen grayish-white, the sides 
tinged with cream-color, and barred with grayish-brown; bill 
rather more than twice the length of the head, of a brownish- 
black color—at the base of the lower mandible, flesh-colored. 
Length eighteen inches, wing nine and a half. 
“ This bird arrives on Long Island in the month of May. It 
frequents the marshes and muddy flats, feeding on worms and 
minute shell-fish. "With us, it is not so abundant as the long¬ 
billed species, with which it sometimes associates. Early in 
June it moves on to the North, where it passes the season of 
reproduction; in the latter part of August, while journeying 
southward, it again makes its appearance on the salt marshes ; 
and sometimes it frequents the uplands, where it procures ber¬ 
ries and insects of various kinds, on which it grows very fat— 
though in general its flesh is not well flavored. 
“ The flight of the Hudsonian Curlew is easy and steady; it 
obeys the fowler’s whistle, and presents an excellent mark. 
This bird is remarkable for sympathizing with its wounded 
companions—a trait of character so proverbial in the Long¬ 
billed Curlew. 
“ Occasionally stragglers are observed to linger behind until 
the early part of November; but in general, all have left for 
winter quarters by the middle of October. The name general¬ 
ly given to it by our gunners, is ‘ Short-billed’ or ‘ Jack Curlew.’ ” 
