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There are two records for eastern Siberia, only one with a date: four birds passing over at Wankarem, 6 August 1881 (Nelson 1883:90; Dement'ev and Gladkov 1951:3:359). These reports may represent accidental occurrences or the regular western extremity of Eskimo Curlew breeding range or may have been the Little Curlew of Asia.

1877-1881: "This is the most abundant Curlew in Northern Alaska, especially along the coasts of Bering Sea and Kotzebue Sound....On May 12, 1878, at Saint Michaels********, a number were seen passing to the north, and from this date on through the month they occur, frequently in considerable numbers... Very few remain to breed so far south as Saint Michaels [Norton Sound]... by the last of May nearly all have...passed north . They return at the end of July or first of August... and [are]... sometimes found..until about the middle of September" (Nelson 1887:121). 1881: "Much more common [than Whimbrel] during all the summer season on the coast of Norton Sound [west coast] .Both forms appear at the Yukon mouth [Norton Sound] in spring, and sparingly during the breeding season....lt occurs all along the Arctic coast of Alaska, wherever suitable lowlands occur" (Nelson 1883:90) 1882, Point Barrow*** [Arctic coast]: "This is a rather irregular summer visitor and by no means common, although well known to the natives" (Murdoch 1885b:114). 1884, Kowak River [= Kobuk, enters Kotzebue Sound]: "Largely outnumbers [the Whimbrel]....in the fall I found them in large numbers....Both species leave for the south during the latter part of September" (McLenegan 1889:121). 1885, Noatak River [Kotzebue Sound]: "This species, together with the red-bellied snipe and the Hudsonian Curlew, forms the three most abundant species characteristic of the region" (McLenegan 1887:78). July+/- 1898-July 1899, Kotzebue Sound: "Not detected at all by me in any of this region, although a considerable number of curlew were examined" (Grinnell 1900a:75). July-October 1899, Cape Nome [Norton Sound]: "Scattering companies of curlew (probably Numenius borealis) have appeared several times flying along the bluff" (Grinnell 1900b:113).

DATES: MAY 12, 14**, 20, 21*, 22**, 25**, 26*, 31+/-, JUNE*, 27*, July**, 4**, 6, 20, 31+/-, AUGUST 1, 1983, 11*, 25, SEPTEMBER 15+, 30+; undated******** (Nelson 1887. Hahn 1963; Murdoch 1885b; Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959; Grinnell 1900b; McLenegan 1889; Ridgway 1919; Gill and Amaral 1984).

It would appear that few, if any, Eskimo Curlews nested south of St. Michael or even Kotzebue Sound. There were large numbers of migrants on the west coast, more conspicuous in fall than spring Curlews were first noted on 20 and 21 May 1882 at Point Barrow, with a last date of 6 July rather early for breeding birds to have left (No curlews were seen there at all in 1883.) Nelson's statement about their occurrence all along the Arctic coast may have been speculation since he apparently went no further east along the coast than Point Barrow (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959:10). There may be only one valid June record for all of Alaska 27-June 1841 for a male collected at Norton Gulf*. Baird et al. (1884:1:320) list a June 1872 record for the Pribilofs* but not the 26 May 1872 specimen for St. Paul Island*, part of that group. Gabrielson and Lincoln (1959:350) mention a 4 June 1877 female for St. Michael but not the two 4 July 1877 females for the same locality. Unfortunately dates are not available for the eastern Alaska records at Ft. Yukon**.

Grinnell's failure to see or identify any curlews may have been due to their shortage in Alaska by 1899. There is no concrete evidence for breeding in Alaska and it may be that many of the migrants continued on to Siberia to nest. On the other hand, Alaska is a large piece of country, difficult for only three ornithologists to cover, even when Eskimo Curlews were common.

Concerning their stay on the west coast Nelson wrote in 1883: "Its habits and haunts are almost identical with those of its larger relative, except that it breeds more frequently in the southern parts of its range." And, in 1887: "With the preceding species [Whimbrel] they return at the end of July or first of August to feed and grow fat on the blue-berries and the fruit of the heath (Empetrum nigrum), which begin to ripen on the hill-sides. They are less suspicious than their larger companions, and generally may be approached without difficulty.

"In common with many of the snipe kind this bird appears to feel more confident under the leadership of a larger species, and a dozen or so will follow the wanderings of a single hudsonicus [Whimbrel] all about the country....Both this and the preceding eat berries continually in fall and often have the entire lower surface of the body stained a purplish shade.

"This bird remains later in autumn than the Hudsonian Curlew, and is sometimes found on the grass and moss-covered uplands until about the middle of September" (Nelson 1883:90, 1887:121).

For the Kowak River ( = Kobuk): "In the fall I found them in large numbers at the delta, as well as the wet meadows on either side of the river. At this season they are plump and well flavored, and afford most excellent sport" (McLenegan 1889:121).

At Point Barrow in spring 1882 "it was the first wader to arrive....Two flocks of about twelve each arrived on May 20, when there was still much snow on the tundra and in the lagoons, moving up the beach towards the northeast" (Murdoch 1885b:114).

The most recent report comes a century later: "On August 1, 1983, Dr. Henning Behmann, University of Kiel, West Germany, reported seeing what he believed to be an adult Eskimo Curlew...with one young in the Kikiktat Mountain area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge....The detailed description of the bird he saw, and the historical accounts...were such that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...supported a team of two ornithologists to return to the area...between 5 and 10 June 1984." They returned to the exact location but "during six days of extensive searches...found no Eskimo Curlews" (Gill and Amaral 1984:1).

OTHER LOCALITIES: Cape Lisburne*, Hotham Island**, Homer, Kenai Mountains*, Nulato*, Seal Islands, Ship 60 mi. west of Nunivak* Sitka* (Bailey 1948; Macoun and Macoun 1909; Nelson 1883, plus references under DATES).

Although Alaskan and Northwest Territories' birds migrated east before turning south, no movements or concentrations are reported for the Yukon or Northwest Territories. L.M. Turner noted a migration in progress over Ungava, Quebec: "I saw none until the morning of the 4th of September, 1884, as we were passing out from the mouth of the Koksoak River. Here an immense flock of several hundred individuals were making their way to the south. They flew in that peculiar manner which distinguishes the curlews from all other birds in flight, a sort of wedge shape, the sides of which were constantly swaying back and forth like a cloud of smoke wafted by the lightest zepher [sic]....Long, dangling lines, either perpendicular or horizontal, the lower parts of which whirl, rise, or twist spirally, while the apex of the flock is seemingly at rest. At other times the leader plunges downward successively followed by the remainder in most graceful undulations, becoming a dense mass then separating into a thin sheet spread wide; again reforming into such a variety of positions that no description would suffice" (Bent 1962:130).

One reference suggests that the birds stopped in this area: "There was heavy (though very local) shooting of migrants in Ungava" (Palmer 1967:191). However, Turner (1885:248) does not mention their resting. Furthermore, referring to Ungava and Labrador, he states: "Plentiful in the fall in the southern portions and as far north as Davis Inlet [Labrador; 55°52']; they do not halt above this latter place while on their way southward."

Map 6. Some Eskimo Curlew locations on the Labrador coast, mainly those of George Cartwright, 1770-1786.

(¹ For Labrador, specimens have been marked for place names only. )

Labrador is the first recorded stopover for these birds on their southward journey. Here they apparently concentrated along the 280 km (175 mi.) of coast between Hamilton Harbour** (54°15') and Red Bay* (51°44'). How many were there? Then, as now, there are no good estimates, but Warren Hapgood (1887:17) quotes a round figure from a friend in Newfoundland: "They arrive at Labrador before they reach Newfoundland in millions, so that they darken the sky as they rise." (Latitudes are given for locations on the coast mentioned in the text.)

DATES: From the heart of this coastal stretch, we have the best calendar of curlew comings and goings ever compiled. Capt. George Cartwright, a British merchant, worked out of Cape Charles (52°13') from 1770 into 1775. He then moved 160+/- km (100+/- mi.) north to Cartwright Harbour (53°43') and, later, to Cartwright (Great) Island (53°45'), where he remained until 1786, except for four years spent in England. He kept and published a diary of his and his men's daily experiences, from which we have extracted all the curlew references. For them, more than 200 years ago, hunting and fishing were a daily necessity for survival. While caribou, black and polar bears, other mammals and fish were the major part of their diet, birds and their eggs contributed variety in season. Eskimo Curlews were one of the delicacies they sought, although they did not always have far to go. Cartwright has several entries like "I killed a dozen of curlews at the door." Nor did curlews figure large in their fare, the largest kill recorded in one year being 109 and the total for the 13 years under 500 for him and his men (Map 6 ; Appendix 2; Cartwright 1792).

Curlews are mentioned in Cartwright's diaries on 102 dates and on three occasions they constitute the only information for the day except for routine weather notes. As with many sets of bird data, first arrivals are noted more often than last departures (Table 5). Arrival in 9 of 13 years was 1 to 6 August. For 28 July 1777 he wrote: "I saw a flock of curlews, which is a few days earlier than usual." All but the two latest dates are before 19 September. On 3 October 1778: "I saw two curlews today (which is very late in the year for those birds)...." And on Saturday, 24 October 1772: "We sailed this morning, but could go no farther than Camp Islands, where I was much surprised to meet with a curlew so late in the year; I beheaded it with my rifle." It would appear that the curlews spent from 35 to 60 days on this part of the coast, probably depending on September weather.

In an attempt to determine when curlews were common here, we examined Cartwright's data for dates on which he recorded the number of curlews seen in terms of "few," "many," etc. These dates were then organized in sequence by daymonth, disregarding year, presenting a picture of what might be considered an average year (Table 6). The results suggest that the birds were not common before 19 August or after 3 September-an approximately two-week period. Such a period agrees with those of people who may not have been in the field as much as Cartwright and may have missed the first and last few curlews, e.g., Coues' (1861:236) 1860 dates of 16 August-3+/- September, and Audubon's (Audubon 1967:6:46)1833 dates of 29 July to 11 August for Quebec-Labrador.

Table 5. First and last fall dates for Eskimo Curlews in Labrador, from the diary of George Cartwright, 1770-1786.

Year

First

Comment

Last

Comment

Days Present

Days Seen

1770

Aug. 4

The first curlews

Sept. 10

Killed a curlew

38

13

1771

Aug. 3

The first curlews

Sept. 5

Shot a curlew

34

7

1772

Aug. 5

Shot 2 curlews

Sept. 26

A few (Oct. 24:1)

53

7

1773

Aug. 29

Shot 6 curlews

Sept. 1

Killed a curlew

4*

3

1774

Aug. 4

The first curlews

Sept. 15

Killed a curlew

43

3

1775

Aug. 29

Killed 3 curlews

Sept. 13

Shot a curlew

16*

2

1776

Aug. 6

The first curlews

Sept. 18

Very few curlews

44

20

1777

July 28

A flock of curlews

Aug. 27

Shot 6 curlews

31*

12

1778

Aug. 5

The first curlews

Oct. 3

Saw 2 curlews

60

14

1779

Aug. 3

Some curlews appeared

Aug. 29

Many curlews

27*

6

1783

Sept. 6

Some scattered curlews

Sept. 9

Killed 8 curlews

4*

3

1785

Aug. 1

A few curlews

Sept. 16

Saw a curlew

47

8

1786

Aug. 2

Several flocks; first

Aug. 23

Abundant

22*

3

*Periods which are probably most underestimated.

Pennant (1792:163) was told that they occurred in "flocks innumerable, on the hills about Chateaux Bay [52°00']...from August the 9th to September 6th...."

L.M. Turner's information, in part secondhand, was: "From the 10th to the 20th of August immense flocks of these birds appear on the level tracts from Davis' Inlet [sic; 55°52'] to the Gulf of St. Lawrence [50°00'], each day adding to their number until the ground seems alive with them. They feed on the ripening berries of Empetrum and Vaccinium, becoming wonderfully fat in a few days. By the 8th of September it is asserted that none remain" (Bent 1962:131).

The most southern records on the Labrador coast are from J.H. Storer at Red Bay (51 °44'): the first curlews were seen on 3 August 1849; on the 7th, the "Curlews began to come and in immense flocks though very shy" (Townsend and Allen 1907:356). Elsewhere in Labrador the scattered records are within Cartwright's dates.

The habitat curlews frequented and their main food in Labrador were described by Cartwright on 26 August 1770: "On some low hills, partly barren, and the rest covered with small bad sprucebushes, were many large flocks of curlews feeding on the berries, which were plentiful there....The berries of the Empetrum nigrum, and likewise some delicious blue berries which grow on a small shrubby plant, called Ground Whortle, both of which are now ripe, are what the curlews delight to feed on. These not only make them uncommonly fat, but also give their flesh a most delicious flavour" (Cartwright 1792:1:29; Fig. 15).

Table 6. Cartwright's observations of curlew numbers in chronological order by day, 1770-1786, in Labrador.

Date				Number of Curlews
2 August		1786:		"We saw several flocks of curlews today, which are the first we have seen this season" (3:196).
3 August		1786:		"We saw several curlews" (3:197).
10 August		1772:		"We... saw a few curlews only" (l :248).
10 August		1778:		"A few small flocks of curlews were seen today" (2:355).
10 August		1779:		"I saw but one flock of curlews today; I believe there are not many this season, on account of the scarcity of berries" (2:471).
11 August		1779:		"I saw a few curlews" (2:471).
15 August		1785:		"Curlews "are very scarce yet" (3:68)
18 August		1778:		"Curlews are so scarce this year, that very few have been seen, and not one killed yet" (2:357).
19 August		1778:		"We saw a good many more" (2:358)
23 August		1786:		"Curlews are now abundant" (3:202).
24 August		1778:		"I saw several curlews" (2:360).
25 August		1778:		"Here there found abundance of curlews" (2:361).
26 August		1770:		"Many large flocks of curlews" (1:29).
26 August		1777:		"Curlews have grown very scarce within these few days past: (2:248).
27 August		1771:		"We...saw many curlews" (1:159).
29 August		1770:		"We...saw numerous flocks of those birds" (1:31).
29 August		1779:		"We...saw many curlews" (2:480).
31 August		1776:		"Very few curlews have appeared since the twenty-sixth instant until this day, when they were tolerably plentiful" (2:203).
3 September		1770:		"A great number of curlew were upon the shore" (1:32).
3 September		1785:		"Curlews are very plentiful now; we saw innumerable flocks on Venison Head, as we passed it" (3:71-72.)
6 September		1783:		"I met with some scattered curlews" (3:7).
8 September		1785:		"I saw...not many curlews, as they are now going fast away to the southward" (3:73).
13 September		1776:		"They are now departing fast" (2:207).
16 September		1785:		"I saw a curlew" (3:76).
18 September		1776:		"Very few curlews to be seen now" (2:209).
26 September		1772:		"We saw only...a few curlews" (1:259).

Almost 100 years later Elliott Coues wrote of his 1860 trip to Henley Harbour****** (52°01'): "Their food consists almost entirely of the Crow-berry, Empetrum nigrum, which grows on all the hill-sides in astonishing profusion. It is also called the 'Bearberry' and 'Curlew-berry.' It is a small berry, of a deep purple color, almost black, growing upon a procumbent, running kind of heath, the foliage of which has a peculiar moss-like appearance. This is their principal and favorite food; and the whole intestine, the vent, legs, bill, throat, and even the plumage are more or less stained with the deep purple juice" (Coues 1861:237).

The curlews also spent some time on the seashore. Coues found that they "are also fond of a species of small snail, that adheres to the rocks in immense quantities, to procure which they frequent the land-washes at low tide" (Coues 1861:237). Berteau wrote: "They were very numerous indeed, flying from the hills to the shore and vice versa in flocks numbering from fifty to two or three hundred....They fed...on the sea lice and infusoria found on the sandy beaches at low tide" (Carroll 1910:372).

Figure 15. Eskimo Curlew feeding habitat hear Cartwright, Labrador. G.H. Martin.

Coues also noted that the curlews "associate in flocks of every size, from three to as many thousands....Their flight is firm, direct, very swift, when necessary much protracted, and is performed with rapid regular beats. They never sail except when about to alight; then the wings are much incurved downwards, in the manner of most Waders. As their feet touch the ground their long, pointed wings are raised over the back until the tips almost touch, and then deliberately folded, much in the manner of the Solitary Sandpiper" (Coues 1861:236). Of potential predators he also wrote of the "Pidgeon Hawk": "On the 25th of the same month [August], at Henley Harbor, another individual was seen, foraging among the immense flocks of Curlews...which then covered the hills in the vicinity" (Coues 1861:216).

Eskimo Curlews were sometimes quite vociferous but describing how they, like most birds, sound is difficult and subjective. Coues again: "Their note is an oft-repeated, soft, mellow, though clear whistle....When in very extensive flocks they have a note which, when uttered by the whole number, I can compare to nothing but the chattering of a flock of blackbirds. When wounded and taken in hand they emit a very loud harsh scream, like that of a common hen under similar circumstances, which cry they also utter when pursued" (Coues 1861:236-237). Earlier, Chappell had noted: "Their whistle, colour, and size, greatly resemble the plover" (Chappell 1818:140).

Although this curlew often associated with other species of migrating shorebirds, as will be seen later, it appears that they occurred in one-species flocks this far north. Cartwright rarely mentioned shooting a plover while Audubon, Coues and others did not mention mixed flocks.

In Labrador the Black-bellied Plover is a "rare autumnal transient" and the Golden Plover is an "uncommon transient visitor in the autumn" (Austin 1932:85, 84). Todd (1963:294-297) agrees about the former and implies that the latter may be less than uncommon. Cartwright reported shooting only "grey plover" (although not many), the name usually given to the Black-bellied, but it is possible he did not distinguish between the two in juvenile plumage. In any case, it appears that large numbers of Golden Plover joined flocks of Eskimo Curlews after the latter left Labrador.

On 29 August 1932, by the time the population was down to a few pairs, two Eskimo Curlews were found feeding with a small flock of Whimbrels at Battle Harbour* (52°17'; Van Tyne 1948:241)

Concerning the curlews' stay, Berteau stated: "Year in and year out, about the same day in each year - usually the 23rd of August - they put in an appearance and always at the same place, both sides of the entrance to Hamilton Inlets***. Thence they gradually moved as the season advanced south to the straits [of Belle Isle] and northern shores of Newfoundland, leaving those localities bound west in early October if the season was open. if not, then about the last week in September" (Carroll 1910:372). Coues wrote: "For two or three days before their final departure, we had noticed them all moving directly southward, flying very high in the air in loose straggling flocks, with a broad extended front" (Coues 1861:236).

As has been indicated, the curlew was not the object of heavy hunting in the 18th century, and maybe not in the early 1800s. In 1818 Chappell wrote: "They move in flights containing many thousands; and when gorged with food, it is not unusual to kill ten or twelve at a shot; at such times, they are found to be exceedingly plump and delicate, and far surpassing any of our English Game in richness and flavour" (Chappell 1818:139-140).

Describing the hunting of curlews for sport, Coues wrote of his 1860 visit: "From the time of my first arrival in the country until the second week in August, the stereotyped reply...to my inquiries concerning game was, 'There is nothing to shoot yet, sir; the C'lews have not yet arrived; but when they come you will have fine sport.' All were agreed as to the abundance of the birds, the facility with which they could be obtained, the sport of killing them, and their delicacy on the table....lt was not, however, until the 16th of August, when in the romantic harbor of ' Indian Tickle,' that we obtained the first glimpse of the Curlews. Five days later, at Henley Harbor, our sport commenced; the Curlews were there in immense numbers, and for nearly two weeks we all enjoyed such sport as almost made us forget our disappointments and hardships on the dreary Labrador coast. The Curlews then disappeared as suddenly as they had arrived." He continued, "They generally fly in so loose and straggling a manner, that it is rare to kill more than half a dozen at a shot....Their note...may be easily imitated. By this means they can readily be decoyed within shot....The smaller the flock, the more easily are they allured, and a single individual rarely fails to turn his course toward the spot from whence the sound proceeds....

"Food being so abundant, and so easily obtained, they become excessively fat. In this condition they are most delicious eating, being tender, juicy and finely flavored; but as might be expected, they prove a very difficult job for the taxidermist....I was never able to walk openly within shooting distance of a flock, though I was told it was often done. The most successful method of obtaining them is to take such a position as they will probably fly over in passing from one feeding ground to another; they may then be shot with ease, as they rarely fly high at such times.

"The pertinacity with which they cling to certain feeding grounds, even when much molested, l saw strikingly illustrated on one occasion. The tide was rising and about to flood a muddy flat of perhaps an acre in extent, where their favorite snails were in great quantities. Although six or eight gunners were stationed on the spot, and kept up a continual round of firing upon the poor birds, they continued to fly distractedly about over our heads, notwithstanding the numbers that every moment fell....On another occasion, when the birds had been so harassed for several hours as to deprive them of all opportunity of feeding, great numbers of them retired to a very small island, or rather a large pile of rocks, a few hundred yards from the shore, covered with sea weed, and, of course, with snails. Flock after flock alighted on it, till it was completely covered with the birds..." (Coues 1861:236-237).

Writing of the 1860s and 1870s, F.C. Berteau reported: "During the season I used to leave the cruiser at 6 A M. and return at 9 for breakfast. l do not remember ever getting less than thirty to forty brace [60 to 80 birds] during the two hours or so that I was shooting.

"I have heard of...as high as twenty-six birds for a single barrel....my own record [was] twenty- seven for two barrels" (Carroll 1910:372). And he was not alone: "So abundant were they [in the 1870s] that.. [Capt. Parsons] often shot a hundred before breakfast during the season, often killing twenty at a single discharge. The fishermen killed them by the thousands...." William Pye said "And this was confirmed all along the coast, that the fishermen kept loaded guns at their fish stages and shot into the flying masses of these birds often bringing down twenty or twenty-five at a discharge" (Townsend and Allen 1907:357).

By the 1870s, however, there was apparently an added dimension. F.C. Berteau wrote: "The inhabitants, transient and permanent...killed them in very large numbers. They preserved them for winter use by parboiling them and packing them in tins or jars and covering them with melted butter or lard.

"The Hudson Bay Company's people at Cartwright annually put up large numbers in hermetically sealed tins for the use of the company's officials in London and Montreal. I have seen as many as two thousand birds hung up in their store as the result of one day's shooting by some twenty-five or thirty guns" (Carroll 1910:372).

Isle of Ponds (53°27'), Curlew Harbour (53°46') and Table Bay (53°40') "were the old favorite gunning places of the fishermen...." And, "Jack McRea...shot many 'C'lews' during his youth on the coast at Gready [Island]" (53°48'; Austin 1932:90).

The decline of the curlew was apparently sudden and became particularly noticeable around 1890. Based on an August-September trip along the coast in 1900, H.B. Bigelow (1902:29) reported: "The Eskimo Curlew are hardly a remnant of their former numbers. I made careful inquiries among the settlers, and obtained the following rather interesting information: (1) The curlew remained in all their former numbers, in spite of the persecution to which they were subjected until eight years ago [1892]. (2) They then appeared no more. I heard of only about a dozen, which were seen on the coast this fall. Of these I saw five."

Dr. W.T. Grenfell wrote in 1906: "Eskimo Curlew (borealis) are getting very scarce. I hear only of a few dozen a year being killed. I didn't see one last year....There were Labrador Curlew this year on the coast about Hare Islands, Sandwich Bay***, in small numbers....The Curlew became scarce in the end of the eighties. In 1892 when I came on the coast I saw only a few flocks of any size....Of late years I never saw more than five or six." In a subsequent conversation, he recalled "two flocks each containing two or three hundred," but said he had "not seen any numbers since" (Townsend and Allen 1907:357).

"Capt. Parsons of the mailboat Virginia Lake said that they were very abundant up to thirty years ago....He thought that they diminished in numbers rather rapidly between twenty and thirty years ago, and at the latter date (1886) there was a great and sudden falling off. Now he saw from six to twenty only during a season. Mr. William Pye at Indian Cove, Cape Charles, told the same story, except that he put the sudden diminution in numbers about 15 years ago or about 1891" (Townsend and Allen 1907:357).

F.C. Berteau found that "During the first four or five of the ten years, during which, I was collector of customs on Labrador, they were very numerous indeed....During the last years of my collectorship they gradually diminished in numbers, until in 1890 or thereabouts they entirely disappeared, and save for a few seen on one or two occasions, have never returned to the coast" (Carroll 1910:372).

There are few records for Newfoundland. The Catalogue of Canadian Birds states: "By far the most common species of curlew on the coast of Newfoundland, but a periodical visitor" (Macoun and Macoun 1909:200). Berteau reported: "In the 60's and 70's of the last century they were fairly numerous along the eastern and southeastern seaboard of Newfoundland, and good bags were frequently obtained by sportsmen" (Carroll 1910:372). As mentioned above, Hapgood's correspondent stated that they arrived in Labrador before reaching Newfoundland in large numbers. But there appear to be only two specific records-both on the Avalon Peninsula, in the southeast corner of the island-to support their otherwise undocumented flight down the east coast. Based on a trip in the late 1930s, Aldrich and Nutt (1939:20) reported: "It is within the memory of many residents of Brigus [40 km (25 mi.) west of St. John's] that on certain fall days 'droves' of Eskimo Curlew would come to the high flats above the town, even darkening the sky with their great numbers. There seems to be no record of when they became extirpated there." On 8 October 1889, J.C. Cahoon collected a male at "Curslett" ( Cuslett*, 135 km (85 mi.) southwest of St. John's; Hahn 1963:195).

OTHER LOCALITIES: Beaver Brook, Berry Hill, Blackguard Bay, Black Island, Caribou Island, Cape North, Condon Harbour, Cutter Harbour, Drake Island, Eastern Arm, Granby Island, Great Island, Grove Island, Henly Island, Houlton (Holton) Harbour''', Indian Harbour, Indian Island, Island Brook, Isthmus Bay, Labrador'''''', L'Anse au Loup, Lance Cove, Laar Cove, Langman Island, Lookout Hill, Lyon Head, Martin's Cove, Mary Harbour, Muddy Bay Pond, North Point, Okak, Pitt's Harbour, Round Island, Seal Tickle, Signal Hill, Sister Island, Slink Point, South Barrens, South East Cove, South Head, Spotted Island'', Stage Cove, Temple Bay, Twelve-o'clock Harbour, Venison Head, West Bay* (Cartwright 1792; Carroll 1910; Hahn 1963; Norton 1901; Packard 1891).

W.A. Stearns visited Mingan and eastward on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in 1875, lived there a year in 1880-81 and spent the summer of 1882 there. His annotation for Eskimo Curlew is "Formerly abundant; now common in the interior in fall" (Stearns 1883:120). Montreal*: "The curlews are only casual visitants here and are occasionally shot in the autumn at Lake St. Peter by the market-hunters there....A few birds of this species were shot in this district the latter end of August and in September 1893, and were exposed for sale in our markets" (Wintle 1896:45-46). Dionne (1906:164) reported that it was seen frequently on the beaches and in the fields near St-Valier; in large numbers in the fields at St-Denis de Kamouraska; was common in August and September at Godbout, and was rare on Anticosti Island. These four localities are east of Quebec City, the first two on the south shore of the St. Lawrence and the latter two on and near the north shore further east, but still west of Audubon's observations at Bradore. Ouellet (1974:68) considered it hypothetical for extreme southwestern Quebec.

DATES: 1800s**, 1870*, JULY 29, AUGUST 3,5,10,10,11,20*,24*,25*, SEPTEMBER 1*, 3*, 5*, 6, 1906*, 7, 14*, 20, OCTOBER* (Forbush 1916; Hahn 1963; Packard 1891; Audubon 1960; Audubon 1967; Bent 1962).

Much of our information on the curlew in Quebec comes from Audubon. He gives a vivid account of the curlews' arrival on the north shore of the St. Lawrence near Bradore, Quebec. "On the 29th of July, 1833, during a thick fog, the Esquimaux Curlews made their first appearance in Labrador, near the harbour of Bras d'Or.They evidently came from the north, and arrived in such dense flocks as to remind me of the Passenger Pigeons. The weather was extremely cold as well as foggy....The birds...came, flock after flock, passed close round our vessel, and directed their course toward the sterile mountainous tracts in the neighbourhood....They continued to arrive...for several days, in flocks which seemed to me to increase in number. I saw no Hawks in their rear, and I was the more astonished at this, that at that period Pigeon Hawks and other species were pretty abundant" (Audubon 1967:6:46-47).

August 10: "Curlews have increased in numbers, but during two fair days we had they could not be approached." Another observation that same day: "Beneath their [Gyrfalcon's] nest we found the remains of Alca torda [Razorbill], Uria troile [Common Murre], and Mormon arcticus [Atlantic Puffin]...also the remains of Curlews and Ptarmigan" (Audubon 1960:1:427-428).

Audubon found that their favorite food was the same as in Alaska and Labrador proper. "Wherever there was a spot that seemed likely to afford a supply of food, there the Curlews abounded and were easily approached....They feed on what the fishermen call the Curlew-berry, a small black fruit growing on a creeping shrub, not more than an inch or two in height, and so abundant, that patches of several acres covered the rocks here and there. When the birds were in search of these feeding grounds, they flew in close masses, sometimes high, at other times low, but always with remarkable speed, and performing beautiful evolutions in the air. The appearance of man did not seem to intimidate them, for they would alight so near us, or pass over our heads at so short a distance, that we easily shot them. While on wing, they emitted an oft repeated soft whistling note, but the moment they alighted they became silent. They ran swiftly along, all in the same direction, picking up the berries in their way, and when pursued, would immediately squat in the manner of a Snipe or Partridge, sometimes even laying their neck and head quite flat on the ground, until you came within a short distance, when, at the single whistle of any one of the flock, they would all immediately scream and fly off, rambling about for awhile, and not unfrequently re-alighting on the same spot. Now and then, however, their excursion would last a long time, they would rise high in the air, make towards the sea, and, as if aware of the unfavourable state of the weather for pursuing their southward course, would return" (Audubon 1967:6:46-47).

Elsewhere, Audubon states that they feed "with a rapidity squalled only by that of the Passenger Pigeon; in an instant all the ripe berries on the plant are plucked and swallowed, and the whole country is cleared of these berries as our Western woods are of the mast" (Audubon 1960:1:423).

He describes their energetic flying as follows: "They rose from the ground by a single quick spring, in the manner of a Snipe, when they would cut backward, forward, and all around, in a very curious manner, and would now and then pause in the air, like a Hawk, remaining stationary for a few moments with their head meeting the wind, when immediately afterwards they would all suddenly alight. In calm and fair weather, they were more shy than at other times" (Audubon 1967:6:47).

They were hunted here also. "August 3. This afternoon we all went ashore, through a high and frightful sea which drenched us to the skin, and went to the table-lands; there we found the true Esquimau Curlew, Numenius borealis....This species here takes the place of the Migratory Pigeon; it has now arrived; I have seen many hundreds this afternoon, and shot seven" (Audubon 1960:1:422-423).

Some days later, "Those which we procured were extremely fat and juicy, especially the young birds, of which we ate a good many....Little difference [in appearance] could be observed at that season between the males and females, or between the old and young birds" (Audubon 1967:6:47).

Audubon mentioned "Mr. JONES, an old settler of Bras d'Or, and his son, [who] shoot a great number every season, which they salt for winter food." The Jones' family's "great number" is described as "thousands" under the treatment of Hudsonian Curlew (Audubon 1967:6:46-47).

Audubon was also careful to note the curlews' behaviour as they departed from the North Shore: "I was not long in discovering that their stay on this coast was occasioned solely by the density of the mists and the heavy gales that already gave intimation of the approaching close of the summer; for whenever the weather cleared up a little, thousands of them set off and steered in a straight course across the broad Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the contrary, when the wind was high, and the fogs thick, they flew swiftly and low over the rocky surface of the country, as if bewildered....By the 12th of August, however, they had all left the country....While on their passage across the Gulf, they flew high in close bodies, and with their usual speed, by no means in regular lines, nor in any order, but much in the manner of the Migratory Pigeon, now and then presenting a broad front, and again coming together so as to form a close body" (Audubon 1967:6:46-47).

Of his drawing, he wrote on 4 August 1833: "I have been drawing at the Numenius borealis; I find them difficult birds to represent." And on the 5th: "I have finished two Labrador Curlews, but not the ground" (Audubon 1960:1:423, 425). It is possible that the two specimens Audubon used as models are those that went to the British Museum (Sharpe 1896:370).

The artist-naturalist's eye for detail is clear in his careful description of an adult male and female, including "Weight 1/2 lb." and details of the internal organs, with which he concluded his dissertation (Audubon 1967:6:46-47). This weight is the same as that given for a straggler shot in Scotland (see below).

A.S. Packard spent July and August along the same part of the coast as Audubon. He was on Caribou Island, 24 km (15 mi.) west of Bradore, when the curlews came: "On the 10th of August the curlews appeared in great numbers. On that day we saw a flock which may have been a mile long and nearly as broad; there must have been in that flock four or five thousand! The sum total of their notes sounded at times like the wind whistling through the ropes of a thousand-ton vessel; at others the sound seemed like the jingling of multitudes of sleigh-bells. The flock soon after appearing would subdivide into squadrons and smaller assemblies, scattering over the island and feeding on the curlew- berries now ripe. The small plover-like birds also appeared in flocks. The cloud-berry was now ripe and supplied dainty tid-bits to these birds" (Packard 1891:78).

ILes de la Madeleine******** (Magdalen Islands), closer to Nova Scotia than Quebec, figure rather prominently in Eskimo Curlew literature. Specimens in museums were collected there in 1870, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1900 and 1906 with dates ranging from 20 August to 6 September (Forbush 1916:430; Hahn 1963:189-203). As for their abundance on the islands, Cory (1878:67): [1] observed a pair...in a field....pointed them out to a fisherman, who seemed to recognize them, and stated that they were rare visitors. Although no others were seen, l believe that they regularly visit the islands during the migrations, and are abundant in September." Hapgood (1887:17) also presented evidence that they were common: "Another good authority remarks as follows: 'At the Magdalen Islands millions of Golden Plovers and doughbirds [Eskimo Curlew] come every year, in August and September."' This is the most northerly reference to Lesser Golden-Plovers joining curlews on their fall migration down the east coast.

However, Sanford et al. (1924:445-446) reported that "except in a single instance, I have never seen these birds abundant. This occurred in early September, 1890....At the first sign of morning I left the place with the idea of climbing a high bluff just beyond. It was a straight cliff some two hundred feet high, rising from the edge of the bay, and tapering off into low hills from the summit. Long before reaching the top I could hear curlew whistling, and soon a flock passed by in sight; after circling about the steep slope they settled in the grass. In a few minutes a small bunch of birds came within range, and at the report of the gun a perfect cloud of curlew rose, breaking up into small flocks as they filled the air. To my surprise the birds were mostly Eskimo curlew. It was a question only of a short time before the last cartridge had been spent, and the shooting had been so rapid there had been no chance to pick up the dead birds; of these about two-thirds were Eskimos."

Hapgood described another type of hunting on the Magdalen Islands: "Another good authority remarks as follows: 'They feed on the uplands, and go on to the high beach at night to roost. So plenty are they that on a dark night one with a lantern and stick may kill bushels of them'" (Hapgood 1887:17).

The first reference to differential migration of adult and young curlews also comes from the Magdalens. "Mr. Cory reports 'young dough- birds are due here, Magdalen Islands, about 8th September; young golden plover come about 20th September'" (Happood 1887:16-17).

OTHER LOCALITIES: Point Fortune*, Point de Monts, Quebec* (city or province?) (Hahn 1963; Merriam 1882).

In the Catalogue of Canadian Birds for 1909 it is listed as a "rare autumn visitor" for New Brunswick (Macoun and Macoun 1909:200). It was "very rare" in the St. Croix area and "a rare autumn visitant" in St. John and King's counties (Boardman [1900]; Chamberlain 1882:55). Miscou Island: "Up to 1890 fairly abundant" (Green 1907:555). In keeping with Green's observations, a correspondent wrote Hapgood (1887:17) of "seeing, in 1864, as late as October, on the coast from Chediac to Dalhousie, immense numbers of these birds."

DATES: 1898+/-, AUGUST 15+/-, SEPTEMBER 4*, 8, 15+/-, 18*, OCTOBER (Hahn 1963; Squires 1976; Bent 1962). (Other September dates, listed by Squires, are in error (D.S. Christie, New Brunswick Museum, pers. comm.)).

The main firsthand account of these curlews in New Brunswick is for Miscou Island, the northeast tip of the province and 200 km (120 mi.) west-northwest of the Magdalens. From 1877 to 1904 J.O. Green camped every year to approximately 26 August to 27 September on the eastern end of the island. In 1907 he wrote: "The mention of the eskimo curlew or dough bird must bring a pang of regret to all naturalists, sportsmen and epicures, for it is apparently rapidly disappearing. When I first knew the island [1877] they were present in flocks of twenty to fifty or seventy-five all over 'the moss,' [moors, barrens] arriving often before the middle of August and remaining till about September 15th, always arriving earlier and leaving earlier than the jack curlew, and usually flying in company of the golden plover. Up to 1890 they continued fairly abundant; since that year they have steadily and rapidly diminished in numbers, and for the last eight years have been rare. Several seasons of late none have been seen, and in the last five years I do not think I have seen as many flocks. Usually of late a few isolated specimens, mingled with the shore birds and not among the blueberries, has been my record" (Green 1907:555).

Green also made a statement about Lesser Golden-Plover which, if true, could apply equally to the Eskimo Curlew: "I am confident there has been a change in the course of the flight of some varieties. This is especially true of the golden plover, for I hear of large flights of these on Prince Edward Island when there have been none on Miscou, where twenty-five years ago we should have had the same flight" (1907:558). Reduced populations may have maintained the more easterly part of the flight at the expense of the western segment.

OTHER LOCALITIES: St. Stephen* Sackville**, Tabusintac (References under DATES).

MacSwain (1907:577) described it as "commonest of the three curlews," based on 10 years of field notes starting in 1895; Macoun and Macoun (1909:200) called it "not uncommon, " and Godfrey ([1953]: 179) "formerly a common transient. " "We found them common near Malpeque" in August and September (Cory 1878:67).

DATES: 1901,1904*, 1905*, AUGUST 25,28, SEPTEMBER 1 (Forbush 1916; Godfrey [1953]; Mackay 1893b, 1896c, 1929; Hahn 1963).

The earliest report of curlews on Prince Edward Island provides information on their adapting to cultivation, their tameness and use as game: " New London, Prince Edwards [sic] Island, Sept. 1, 1872. Mr. William Everett of Dorchester, Massachusetts, saw to-day a flock of about fifty Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) which had that day landed in a field where a man was ploughing. This man informed him that they were very tame and had been following the furrows picking up and eating earth-worms. This Mr. Everett saw them do, after which he shot fifteen by walking up to them. On examination he found that all those shot were poor, having no fat" (Mackay 1896c:182). The lack of fat suggests that this flock may have overflown Labrador.

Mr. Mackay (1929:104) also provides the second record: "On the 25th inst. [of August, 1873], immense numbers of Eskimo Curlew and Golden Plover landed and remained for some days on Prince Edwards Island" after a three-day storm. Two years later: "We found them common near Malpeque, P.E.I., in 1875" (Cory 1878:67). In 1892 they were scarce: "Mr. William Everett...who visits Prince Edward Island regularly every year, informs me that seven Eskimo Curlew were shot at Alberton* [less than 45 km (28 mi.) from Malpeque], and one at Darnley, on or about Aug. 28, which were all that he heard of during the entire season" (Mackay 1893b:79). Interestingly enough, the last specimen from the island was also taken at Alberton by another Massachusetts hunter in 1905 (Forbush 1916:614).

William Everett may have corresponded also with Hapgood (1887:17): "Mr. E., an intelligent merchant of Boston, informs us he has visited Prince Edward's Island for nine consecutive years, and has failed but twice to get good shooting. They have a 'flight' of birds there on an east wind just the same as at Cape Cod....ln one day he shot green plover, Esquimaux curlew and summer yellowlegs in a field where, as he alleges, they came to feed on herds-grass seed." And, with a suggestion of curlews' homing along their migration route, Hapgood said that Mr. E. is "of the opinion that birds feeding in a certain field this year, unmolested, will return the next year to the same field."

Concerning their vulnerability, "one old Prince Edward Island gunner remarked, 'They would not go out of a field until they were all killed.' " (Forbush 1916:431-432).

OTHER LOCALITIES: Charlottetown* Prince of Wales College* (Hahn 1963; Godfrey [1953]).

In three publications treating the birds of Nova Scotia as a whole, the "Esquimaux" Curlew was found to be "not common" for the period 1852- 1855 (Willis 1859:285), and in 1890: "Rather less abundant than the...[Whimbrel, a "Common fall migrant"]....Arrives about the same time and under the same circumstances," i.e., "23rd of August, with the plover and a north-east gale" (Downs 1890:155). In 1973 Tufts stated: "Formerly common in autumn, is now on the verge of extinction" (Tufts 1973:193).

DATES: 1800s*'*, 1846 + *, 1847*, MARCH 3, MAY 24, AUGUST 23 +, SEPTEMBER 11*, FALL, 1902* (Hahn 1963; Downs 1890; Forbush 1916; Tufts 1973).

The earliest hint of curlew occurrence (species unknown) on the east coast of Canada is apparently Nicolas Denys' mention in the fall of 1635 of "Wild Geese, Brant, Ducks, Teal, white and gray Geese, large and small Snipe, Plover, Curlews, and many other kinds of good game, and all these marshes are covered with very good meadow grass" near Port Mouton, 130 km (80 mi.) southwest of Halifax (Denys 1908:141-142).

In Pictou County**, plovers "made their first appearance about the end of August....The major part, however, usually delayed until the first week in September. Contemporary with these heavier flocks, composed entirely of the Black-bellied species, came the Eskimo Curlews, which sometimes intermingled with their smaller congeners" (McKinley 1885:41). Pictou also has the distinction of recording the only spring sightings for the province: one labelled 3 March 1835 and a sight record for 24 May 1895 (M.J. Langen, pers. comm.; Hickman 1896:234). The date-20 April 1847-on a specimen labelled "Nova Scotia"* is believed to be the date the skin arrived at the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, rather than the collection date (I.H.J. Lyster, pers. comm.; Hahn 1963: 182).

"The latest definite record of occurrence...is September 11 1897, when one was on sale in the Halifax*** Public Market" (Tufts 1973:193). There may be one later record: "the head of a specimen from Sable Island* believed to have been taken in 1902" (Forbush 1916:430).

Referring to 1770-1772! Hearne (1958:272-273) reported: "Curlews. There are two species of this bird which frequent the coasts of Hudson's Bay* in great numbers during Summer, and breed in all parts of it as far North as the latitude 72°....[The smaller] Curlew.are by no means so numerous [as the Whimbrel]. This species of Curlew are seldom found farther North than Egg River" (58°55' at mouth; only Eskimo Curlews and Whimbrels occur in northern Manitoba).

For the period 1767-1775, Andrew Graham, who for most of this period was at Churchill and York Factory** with a short stay at Severn House, Ontario, wrote that they "in autumn appear with their young charge. until they depart in October. They appear in June upon our coast, but the greater part of them depart more northward to breed..." (Williams 1969:85). (Asterisks, representing specimens, do not refer to this observation.) In 1879: "Abundant in July and August at Fort Churchill, as were also the Hudsonian Curlew. " (Bell 1880:69C; Bell arrived at Fort Churchill on 5 August). For 1884 Bell (1885:55DD) also wrote that they were "abundant at Churchill in August, only a few remaining till the beginning of September." Bell arrived at Churchill on 6 September. Taverner and Sutton (1934:37) have summarized these observations: "Hypothetical Probably formerly a common transient, and perhaps a regular summer resident" at Churchill. Thompson (1891) did not list them as occurring in what is now southern Manitoba.

DATES: 1842*, MAY 21, 1980, JUNE, JULY 10, 10, AUGUST 14, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER (Houston 1984; Gollop 1980; Hahn 1963; Taverner and Sutton 1934: Rae 1850; Williams 1969).

The role of Hudson Bay (Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Ontario) in the species: range and the routes to and from it are difficult to assess. To arrive at Churchill in June birds may have flown through Illinois and Michigan, where there are a few spring records, or they may have turned northeast in Manitoba or Saskatchewan off the main spring route. Presumably this path involved a small part of the population, as did the better-documented fall movement down the west (and east?) coast of Hudson and James bays This latter segment may have moved straight south from James Bay to southern Ontario and across Pennsylvania to the Atlantic coast. According to Cooke (1912:76): Many curlews migrated south along the west coast of Hudson Bay, before they turned east to the Atlantic and some of these seem to have wandered occasionally southward" to southern Ontario, Pennsylvania and Lake Michigan. It may be that at least the Eskimo Curlews reported remaining in Alaska after mid-September took this route south rather than going through Labrador, where there are few records after the middle of the month. There is no direct evidence of breeding around Hudson Bay.

Richardson collected two specimens at York Factory 14 August 1822 (Houston 1984:235) A male. labelled "baie d'Hudson" and dated 1842 from the collection of the Swiss naturalist, Victor Fatio, is in a Geneva museum On 3 September 1847 John Rae reported: "I therefore employed most of my time in shooting Esquimaux curlews, which were so abundant near the Old Fort [Churchill] that I bagged seven brace in a few hours (Rae 1850:196). Depending on whose terminology he was using, these may, in fact, have been Eskimo Curlews. Macoun (1883:363:369), writing about "Manitoba and the Great Northwest," listed "Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, Lath." and added: "I have been careful to introduce no species into the foregoing catalogue of which I had not seen specimens east of the Rocky Mountains and west of Winnipeg."

There have been three sight records in the 1900s. The first two were near Churchill: "In 1930 Gould saw four very small curlews in a flock of larger Hudsonians on July 10....through glasses under good observational conditions...In 1933 Twomey had a similar experience with a flock of large and small curlews...on...July 10" (Taverner and Sutton 1934:37). 1980: "Highlight of the season was a 3-fur observation of an Eskimo Curlew May 21 at St. Ambroise, s.e. corner of L. Manitoba, by David Hatch. The bird was feeding like a chicken (at least partly on grasshoppers) along a ridge of mowed upland grasses with Am. Golden and Black-bellied Plovers....as close as 45 paces..." (Gollop 1980:788).

Macoun and Macoun (1909:200): "Accidental." Quilliam (1973:79-80): "Rare in Ontario. " James et al. (1976:22): "Former rare migrant in south, more common in north.... " Lake Erie: "Regular migrant" (Chamberlain 1887:45).

DATES: 1864**, 1882+*, APRIL, MAY, AUGUST 15, 1976, SEPTEMBER 30+/-, OCTOBER 10* ( Hahn 1963; Forster 1772; Mcilwraith 1883; Hagar and Anderson 1977).

The oldest positive record of the Eskimo Curlew in Canada comes from bone fragments discovered in an archeological excavation of Fort Albany on James Bay in 1963 (Baldwin 1967:1): "The bones had been deposited during the period 1679-1721....The small sample found in the Fort Albany material suggests that it was not, like the Hudsonian Godwit, a common Fall migrant in this area as some ornithologists have assumed. " The bones found were: six humeri; one fragment of sternum, including portion of rib attachment; four carpometacarpi and four ulna (D.H. Baldwin, pers. comm.).

Fort Albany was apparently also the source of the Eskimo Curlew that Andrew ,raham sent to England, where John Forster made the first scientific description of he species. Forster (1772:411-412) wrote: SCOLOPAX. 41. Borealis. New Species. Esquimaux Curlew. Faun. Am. Sept, 14. / Albany Fort, No. 15. / This species of curlew, , not yet known to the ornithologists; the first mention is made of it in the Faunula americae Septentrionalis, or catalogue of North American animals. It is called Weeee-kee-me-nase-su, by the natives; feeds on swamps, worms, grubs, &c; visits Albany Fort in April or beginning of May; breeds to the northward of it, returns in August, nd goes away southward again the latter end of September "

The specimens include two males taken at Toronto Island** in 1864 and a female Wolf Island* near Kingston on 10 October 1873 (Hahn 1963:186; Fleming 1906:451). About 1882 Mcilwraith "captured a specimen of this little sickle-bill" near Hamilton* "in a moist grassy hollow on the beach...." The curlew "was alone, evidently straggler from a passing flock" (McIlwraith 1883:199; Fleming 1906:451).

The following paragraph is from a letter of 29 June 1974 by Paul Prevett, then with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, to Harry Lumsden referring to the Ontario part of Hudson Bay: "During the trapper interviews we asked over 20 of the older men about Eskimo curlews. The large majority were familiar with the whimbrel but did not know the Eskimo curlew. Two men indicated a knowledge of the Eskimo. Antoine Wheesk said he sees very few but is familiar with the bird; he also indicated that they are seen in both spring and fall. Jim Wesley said his son shot an Eskimo curlew this spring [1974]. The unlikelihood of spring sightings in this area may make the latter two data suspect. Michel Hunter told me that Eskimo curlews were seen only in fall at Winisk. Another observation has come to light. Gilbert Faries of Moose Factory said he shot a wounded bird at the mouth of the Missisicabi River near Tidewater Goose Camp in the fall of 1972. Further, knowing what the bird was, Gilbert froze the specimen. Unfortunately, however, during a power failure the specimen thawed and rotted before he brought it to our office. Gilbert also recalled seeing 3 Eskimo curlews in the fall of 1968 in the same area. He says anytime after July 15 is a good time to see curlews...."

On 21 February 1980 Harry Lumsden, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, wrote Gollop, in part: "I have one report of an Eskimo Curlew which I am inclined to believe. Michael Hunter....is an excellent ornithologist and has collected, preserved, and identified many "firsts" for Winisk. ..ln 1973 I asked him if he knew of a small kind of curlew. He said yes and that the Indians call it We-ke-wa-ne-so which means 'he who eats berries' and that he had shot one three years before, near the mouth of the Shagamu River. I said 'My God Michael, did you know that there are only about 6 of them left?' He said 'I did not know. There used to be lots of them.'"

The most recent report is from North Point on the west coast of James Bay, 15 August 1976, by Hagar and Anderson (1977:135). "[We] turned...west across half a mile of level salt meadow. We...put up several more [Whimbrels] as we went out on the marsh. Circling around behind us,

they were scarcely gone from sight when suddenly, directly in front of us, no more than 40 yards away and perhaps 15 feet above the meadow, we saw two smaller curlews with short, slender bills, flying very fast from left to right-i.e., south to north."