284 HUDSONIAN CURLEW*.
along the marshes. They fly high, and with great rapidity. A few are
seen in June, and as late as the beginning of July, when they generally
move off toward the north. Their appearance on these occasions is very
interesting : they collect together from the marshes as if by premeditated
design, rise to a great height in the air, usually an hour before sunset,
and, forming in one Vast line, keep up a constant whistling on their way
to the north, as if conversing with one another to render the journey more
agreeable. Their flight is then more slow and regular, that the feeblest
may keep up with the line of march ; while the glittering of their beautifully
speckled wings, sparkling in the sun, produces altogether a very
pleasing spectacle.
" In the month of June, while the dewberries are ripe, these birds
sometimes frequent the fields, in company with the Long-billed Curlews,
where brambles abound ; soon get very fat, and are at that time excellent
eating.""
Nuttall says, " From the middle of August to the beginning of September,
they arrive in the vicinity of Massachusetts Bay, and other parts
of New England, frequenting the pastures as well as marshes, and fatten
on grasshoppers and berries, till the time of their departure, about the
close of September; and they wholly disappear from New Jersey, on their
way to the south, early in the month of November.'"
I have only to add, that, having compared specimens of the present
species with the Whimbrel of Europe, Numenius Phceopus, I am satisfied
that they are perfectly distinct.
NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 712.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 314 Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 377.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, SCOLOPAX BOREALIS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 92. pi. 59.
fig. 1.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 97.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXVII.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, compressed,
slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the sides, excepting at the base, rounded, and marked with a narrow
groove extending more than two-thirds of its length, the ridge rather
flattened at the base, convex and narrower towards the end, the edges
HUDSONIAN CURLEW.
rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear. Lower
mandible with the dorsal line arched, or nearly parallel to that of the upper,
the angle extremely narrow and extended to near the end, the sides
at the base nearly erect with a shallow groove close to the rather obtuse
edge; the tips obtuse, and about equal in length.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body rather full. Feet of moderate length, slender. Tibia bare a considerable
way above the joint; tarsus with numerous anterior scutella,
excepting in its upper fourth, where, and on the sides, it is reticulated.
Toes small, scutellate above; first very small, second and fourth about
equal, third considerably longer; the anterior toes marginate, and connected
at the base by short webs, of which the outer is larger. Claws
small, compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe much larger, curved outwards,
with a sharp dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short; the
feathers in general small, oblong or ovate and rounded. Wings rather
long, very acute, narrow, the primaries tapering, the first longest, the second
a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of the inner, which are
greatly elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded
feathers.
Bill brownish-black, the basal half of lower mandible flesh colour.
Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of
the head is deep brown, with a central longitudinal line of white, and a
broader lateral one of the same over each eye ; a brown line from the bill
to the eye, and another extending behind the latter. The neck all round
is pale yellowish-grey, longitudinally streaked with brown, excepting the
chin or upper part of the throat, which is greyish-white. The upper parts
in general are blackish-brown, marked with numerous spots of brownishwhite,
there being several along the margins of each feather; the wings and
rump are lighter, the upper tail-coverts and tail barred with brown and
yellowish-grey, the latter tipped with white. Primaries and their coverts
brownish-black, the outer unspotted on their outer web; all with transverse
light markings on the inner; the secondaries like the smaller coverts.
Breast and abdomen greyish-white, the sides tinged with cream-colour,
and barred with pale greyish-brown; the outer lower tail-coverts with a
few brown marks.