Stone Curlew 



lo- 



1832.* The Stone Curlew, a humble relation, is all that is left to us 

 to keep his memory green. 



The extermination of the Bustard was due to man, of course, 

 but only indirectly. The introduction of the machine-drill and the 

 horse-hoe led to the destruction of their eggs, while the extensive 

 planting of coniferous trees on many of these waste lands rendered 

 the district less suited to their requirements, and greatly restricted 

 the area formerh* occupied by this bird. 



In these introductory pages, I have endeavoured to give some 

 very rough idea of the bird life on these commons. It remains 

 to choose certain of these birds which are both interesting and 

 characteristic, for more detailed discussion. From the list of 

 birds enumerated, I have selected (i) The Stone Curlew, 

 (Edicnemits crepitans (Limicolae) ; (2) the Night-jar, Capriniulgus 

 europceus (Picariae) ; (3) the Stone-chat, Pratincola mbicola (Passeres) ; 

 (4) the Short-eared Owl, Asio hrachyotus (Striges). 



There is, at any rate, ample variation in this bill of fare, for no 

 two of the four examples belong to the same Order. 



-v--^-^t^^^ 



Fig. y. 



The Stone Curlew, Qidicnemus crepitans. 



The Stone Curlews belong to the order LimicolcB, and form a 

 clearly-delined genus, sharply separated from, their nearest aUies. 

 In their habits, and in some points of their structure, they come very 



* Howard Saunders (" Manual of British Birds," 1899, p. 523) says, " In Norfolk and 

 Suffolk the last fertile eggs were taken about 1838, though a few birds lingered to a somewhat 

 later date." 



The Chief districts frequented by the Great Bustard in East Anglia, appear to have been : 

 (i) Swaffham district in Norfolk : (2) Thetford district in Norfolk and Suffolk ; (3) Newmarket 

 district, and Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Vide, Babbington's "Birds of Suffolk." — Editor. 



