Hudsonian Whimbrel

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The habits of this species, which until a few years ago was always confounded with the Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, are yet in a great measure unknown. Every person who writes ou American birds repeats, that it arrives at Hudson’s Bay, breeds farther north, & c.; but none has yet given any of those details so necessary to enable the student of nature to judge in what respects this species resembles, or differs from others, at the season of reproduction. During my visit to Labrador, I made diligent inquiry respecting it and the Esquimaux Curlew, but I obtained no information farther than that the latter is extremely abundant for a few weeks in early autumn, and that the present species was entirely unknown. Even Mr. Jones and his sons, who had probably killed thousands of the species just mentioned, had never seen it in the course of their long residence at Bras d’Or. Nor is our information respecting their winter retreats much better, for scarcely any of them are ever seen in the colder months within the limits of the United States, and their movements during their migrations are more rapid than those of most water birds. In short, I am unable to present you with such an account of them as I could have wished. I have found this species abundant on the shores of New Jersey in the month of May, and there they remain a few weeks. I once saw a large flock of them near Charleston, in the month of December, and I have found them in the Boston market in September. None were ever seen by me in any part of the interior, where, indeed, it is probable they very seldom make their appearance. As I have nothing of any importance to add, I shall present you with a few extracts from WILSON and NUTTALL, both of whom have had opportunities of observing this species. “ The Short-billed Curlew, ” says the former, “ arrives in large flocks on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in May, from the south, frequents the saltmarshes, muddy shores, and inlets, feeding on small worms and minute shellfish. They are most commonly seen on mud - flats at low water, in company with various other waders; and at high water roam along the marshes. They fly high, and with great rapidity .. A few are seen in. T une, 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. Phaeopus, I am satisfied that they are perfectly distinct.