STONE THICK-KNEE. 81 



in flocks previously to their departure, which is usually by 

 the end of October ; but, should the weather continue open, 

 a few will remain to a much later period. I started one as 

 late as the 9th of December, in the winter of 1834." 



The following account of the habits of this bird, as ob- 

 served in France, will serve to render its history somewhat 

 complete : — " The Great Plover, commonly called the Land 

 Curlew, is the bird that is heard in the country, in the 

 evening, in summer and the beginning of autumn, and which 

 seems incessantly to repeat the word courlis, or rather tarlui, 

 beginning its cries at sunset, and continuing them all night. 

 This bird is of the Plover genus, and has no other relation 

 to the Curlews than the cry which it utters, and which has 

 obtained for it the name of Land Curlew. This large plover 

 is of the size of a chicken that has attained half its growth, 

 and measures sixteen inches in length, twenty-six inches and 

 a half in extent of wings. The Land Curlews or Great 

 Plovers arrive pretty early in spring. They settle on the 

 dry grounds, filled with stones, among fallows and stubbles, 

 preferring low hills and sloping fields. Crickets, grass- 

 hoppers, and other insects form part of their food. During 

 the day these birds keep themselves concealed and couched 

 on the ground ; but at sunset they put themselves in action, 

 and are then heard to commence their cries, which they do 

 not cease to repeat during the fine summer nights. When 

 surprised they run with extreme speed ; their flight is low, 

 and not very long ; they are very wild birds, not easily made 

 up to. The female lays two, or at most three eggs, in the 

 midst of pebbles or gravel, in some depression of the ground, 

 or some hollow which these birds have formed by scraping. 

 It is said that they sometimes have two broods in the year, 

 that incubation continues for a month, and that the growth 

 of the feathers is slow in the young. In fact they are 

 nearly full-grown before they can fly, their wing-feathers 

 not having yet sprouted ; but they run in this state with 

 great lightness ; and at this age appear as stupid as 

 timid. In November the Land Curlews set out on their 

 journey to warmer climates, and it appears that even in 

 summer they do not advance far northward. As an article 



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