throughout Europe. TEMMINCK'S STINT, T. Temminckii, five and a half inches long; ash-gray

above; under parts, white; found in Europe, North Africa, and India. The DUNLIN, T. variabilis, called also Purre, Stint, Ox-Bird, Sea Snipe, &c.-is eight inches long; above black, rufous, and gray; beneath black and white; found throughout Europe and North America. This is the RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, T. alpina of Audubon.

The PURPLE SANDPIPER, T. maritima-the Knot of Bewick -is eight and a half inches long; plumage bluish-lead color; found in Europe and North America;

abundant from Maine to New York in spring and autumn. ScHINZ'S SANDPIPER-T. Schinzii of Gould and others-is six and a half inches long; dark ash above; grayish-white beneath; resembles the Dunlin; found throughout North America; common in New Jersey in autumn; accidental in Europe. The PECTORAL SANDPIPER, T. pectoralis-T. maculata of Vieillot, and

sometimes called Jack-Snipe, Fat-Bird, Meadow-Snipe, Short-Neck, &c.-is nearly nine inches long; dark brown above; grayish-white beneath; found in North America, and common along the Atlantic shores of the United States; accidental in Europe. WILSON'S SANDPIPER or LEAST SANDPIPER, T. pusilla or T. Wilsoni, is four and a half inches long; above black; beneath white. It pervades the whole of North America, and is well known on the coast by the names of Peep and Ox-Eye.

To this long list of Sandpipers may be added the T. Cooperi of Baird, found on Long Island, and the T. Bonapartii of Schlegel, found in North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

CURLEWS, TATLERS, STILTS, AVOCETS, GODWITS, ETC.

Genus NUMENIUS: Numenius.-This includes the Curlews, distinguished by a long, slender bill, curved downward. As among the snipes and sandpipers, so with the curlews the females are somewhat the largest. The COMMON CURLEW of Europe is the Courlis of the French, Ciarlotto

of the Italians, and Keilhacke of the Germans, N. arquatus; the female is twenty-four inches long, the male twenty-two; variegated above with brown, black, and white; beneath with pale and dark brown and white, streaked and spotted. Its nest is carelessly made of a few leaves; the eggs are four, and pear-shaped; the young run as soon as hatched. It lives along the sea-shore, and feeds on worms, slugs, small testaceans, and insects; its cry of courlie, courlie, has given it its English and French names. In Scotland it is called Whaup, which is a name for a goblin which is supposed to have a long beak and go about the houses after nightfall; hence we can understand the Highlander's prayer to be saved from witches and warlocks and "a' long-nebbed things." This species is widely distributed throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and even the Asiatic and Australian Islands, visiting high northern regions in summer to breed, and moving southward as compelled by the freezing of the waters and marshes, where they obtain their food. Many proceed to the tropics, and others linger in more northern regions. Their flesh is excellent, and they are eagerly sought by the sportsmen, but are very difficult of approach.

The WHIMBREL, N. phaopus, is eighteen inches long, variegated above with brown, grayishblack, and grayish-white; beneath nearly white. In England, it is sometimes called Half Curlew and Jack Curlew; geographical distribution nearly as the preceding.

The HUDSONIAN CURLEW, N. Hudsonicus, sometimes called Jack Curlew, and also Shortbilled Curlew, is eighteen inches long; above brownish-black; beneath white, tinged with buff; its nest is built on the ground; the eggs four. It is migratory; appears in the Middle States in large flocks in the month of May; frequents the salt marshes, and feeds on small worms, land and marine insects, fry, minute shell-fish, and seeds of aquatic vegetables. At a later period, in June, accompanied by the long-billed species, it feeds on dewberries, crow-berries, &c. About this period it assembles from different parts of the marshes in a vast company, and moves away to the northern regions, usually setting out about an hour before sunset, and proceeding in a long angular phalanx, and cheering the way by a constant whistling. In consequence of their sympathy for each other, they readily descend at the call of their kindred, and this fact is taken advantage of by sportsmen to bring them within gunshot, by imitating their cry. During the latter part of August and first of September they arrive along the coast of New England and the Middle States, now frequenting the upland pastures as well as marshes, feeding on grasshoppers and

berries. They soon depart, moving away to the south in large flocks. Their flesh is excellent, and they are tolerably abundant during the season in the larger city markets.

The ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, or LITTLE CURLEW, or DOUGH-BIRD, N. borealis-the Small Esqui

maux Curlew of Nuttall-is fourteen inches long; blackish-brown above, mottled with rufous-brown and gray; beneath yellowish-gray, streaked. Its range is very extensive from Paraguay to 70° north. It is common along our coasts from August to November, when it proceeds southward. It is a great delicacy, and much sought after by sportsmen.

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW, N. longirostris, known along our coast by the names of Sickle-Bill and Big Curlew, is twenty-five inches long; bill long, and curving downward in a remarkable degree toward the tip; the color blackishbrown, spotted with reddish and gray above; beneath reddish-buff; its food consists of small mollusca, insects, berries, worms, and crabs; common on the coasts of the Middle States from the middle of August to the middle of September;

some linger till November. Its flesh is indifferent food; distributed throughout the temperate parts of North America. It is supposed there may be two or three species confounded in this one.

Genus TOTANUS: Totanus.-This includes several birds called Tatlers, which resemble the snipes and sandpipers, but have longer legs. The SPOTTED RED-SHANK, T. fuscus-the Chevalier brun of the French-is twelve inches long; ash-gray above, beneath white. It inhabits the sea-shore, as well as the borders of rivers and lakes, feeding on worms, insects, and small testacea, and in search of these, burying itself to the breast in mud; it is migratory, breeds at the north, and is found in Europe and Asia.

The COMMON RED-SHANK, T. calidris-Chevalier gambette of the French-is ten and a half inches long; brown, with black spots, above; beneath white, with brown spots; spread over Europe; sedentary in France.

BARTRAM'S TATLER, T. Bartramius-named Bartram's Sandpiper by Wilson, and known along our coast by the various names of Gray Plover, GrassPlover, Upland-Plover, and Field-Plover-is twelve inches long; ferruginous, with small black streaks, above; beneath white; found on the Atlantic coast, from Texas to Nova Scotia; accidental in Europe. This is the Actiturus Bartramius of Bonaparte.

The YELLOW-SHANK TATLER, T. flavipes-Gambetta flavipes of Bonaparte, known by sportsmen under the name of Yellow-Legs-is nine and a half inches long; above bluish-brown, varied with white, gray, and rufous; beneath white, streaked with gray. It is a common game bird along the coasts, ranging from Mexico to Labrador; accidental in Europe.

The GREEN SANDPIPER, T. ochropus, is nine and a half inches long; dusky-green above; beneath white, streaked with dusky lines; found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The WOOD SANDPIPER, T. glareola, and SUMMER SNIPE, or COMMON SANDPIPER, T. hypoleucos, belong to the eastern hemisphere.

The SPOTTED SANDPIPER, T. macularius-Tringoides macularius of Gray, Spotted Sand-Lark of De Kay, and popularly known by the names of Peet-weet, Teeter, Tiltup, Tipetail, and Humility -is seven to eight inches long; glossy olive-brown, varied with blackish-white above; whitespotted beneath; frequents small streams and the borders of lakes, and feeds on insects and worms. Its cry is peet-weet, peet-weet; it has a constant tilting motion of the body, which has given it a long list of titles. It is familiarly known throughout the United States; ranges from Mexico to Labrador; accidental in Europe.

The GREEN-SHANK TATLER, T. glottis-Florida Greenshank of the Smithsonian Catalogue -is twelve inches long; green and brown above; beneath white; common in Europe and Asia; and is found occasionally on our coasts from New York to Florida.

The TELL-TALE TATLER OF GOD WIT, T. melanoleucos-Gambetta melanoleuca of Bonaparte, and called in this country the Stone-Snipe, Varied Tatler, Big Yellow-Leg, and Winter YellowLeg-is thirteen and a half inches long; blackish-brown above; lower parts soiled and spotted white; found from Mexico to Canada.

The WILLET, T. semipalmatus-Ereunetes petrificatus of Illiger, and sometimes called Semipalmated Snipe, and Stone-Curlew-is fourteen inches long, but varies much in size; marked with black, rufous, and grayish above; beneath gray, and tinted with brown; found in South America and temperate parts of North America.

The SOLITARY TATLER, T. chloropygius, or Rhyacophilus solitarius--sometimes called Solitary Sandpiper and also Jack-Snipe, Wood-Tatler, and Green-Rump Tatler-is eight and a half inches long; deep brown above; beneath light gray; found in Mexico and temperate parts of North

America. The WANDERING TATLER-Heteroscelus brevipes of Baird-is found along the Pacific coast and Northeastern Asia.

Genus RECURVIROSTRA: Recurvirostra. This includes the Avocets or Avosets. The AvoCET of Europe, R. avocetta-sometimes called Scooper and Cobbler's-awl-Duck in England-is a very curious bird, with a long bill, turned upward, and appearing like a thin piece of whalebone; legs long and semipalmated, furnishing a support in walking over the mud; length eighteen inches; color white, with black on the wings and neck; food, worms, aquatic insects, and thin-skinned crustacea, which the bird seizes with admirable dexterity in the mud with its slender, sensitive bill. The nest is made in a depression in a dry part of the marshes; eggs two. It has an incessant ery of twit, twit. It is migratory, and distributed in Europe, Africa, and Asia; breeds in Great Britain. There are two or three other foreign species.

The AMERICAN AVOCET, R. Americana-called Blue-Stocking in New Jersey-is eighteen inches long; color white; tail tinged with pale ash; back and wings black; bill four inches long, and unlike the preceding, turns up along nearly its whole length, and at the tip turns down, and ends in a fine point; ranges from the tropics to 68° north; breeds in New Jersey; migrates north in May and south in October.

Genus HIMANTOPUS: Himantopus.-This includes the Stilts, remarkable for the length of their legs. The EUROPEAN or BLACK-WINGED STILT, H. melanopterus-Echasse of the Frenchis about fourteen inches long; the legs extremely long and slender; it runs easily on the land, and flies with great swiftness. It frequents the borders of the sea, and feeds on worms and small mollusca, and makes its nest in marshes, laying four bluish-green eggs; found, though not abundantly, in Eastern Europe; migrates to Asia and Africa in winter. The WHITE-HEADED STILT of Australia is described by Gould as associating in flocks of six to twenty, and running along the streams, and often knee-deep in water, with admirable ease and grace.

The AMERICAN STILT, H. nigricollis, is thirteen and a half inches long; general color dark sooty brown; ranges from Mexico to Massachusetts, and is a winter res

ident from Carolina southwardly. De Kay says: "It is known under the various names of Tilt, Stilt, Longshanks, and Lawyer. The origin of this last popular name, which is most in use, I have not been able to discover. There appears to be nothing unusual in the length of its bill." Genus MICROPALAMA: Micropalama.-This includes the LONG-LEGGED or STILT SANDPIPER, M. himantopus; nine inches long, and found throughout North America.

Genus LIMOSA: Limosa.-This includes the Godwits, noted for long bills slightly turned upward, and long legs. The BLACK-TAILED GOD WIT, L. melanura, is sixteen inches long; dark brown above; beneath white, barred with rufous brown; found throughout Europe in spring and summer; frequent on the fens of Lincolnshire, England, where the bird-catchers occasionally fat them on bread and milk for market. The BAR-TAILED GODWIT, L. rufa, is a European species, chiefly distinguished from the preceding by having shorter legs.

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