no THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



gregarious, several pairs will nest in one restricted area, but in 

 autumn, shonly before departure, the social habit becomes 

 marked. Mr. W. Farren has seen about 200 together. At 

 these autumn gatherings the birds are very lively, and go 

 through a performance which, if in spring, would be called 

 nuptial display ; the birds run rapidly with uplifted wings or 

 posture as if courting. 



Normally the Thick-knee is crepuscular, and, certainly on 

 moonlight nights, nocturnal ; it 4s sometimes known as the 

 " Night-Hawk," a name also given to the Nightjar. In the day- 

 time it is a shy, silent, secretive bird, but at dusk it becomes 

 lively, and its weird, wailing, but musical calls are responsible 

 for its name Curlew. It feeds on nocturnal insects, but does 

 not refuse a frog or mouse. 



The nest is a scratched hollow and the hning seldom more 

 than a collection of rabbit-droppings, the number of these 

 varying considerably. The ground colour of the two — seldom 

 more — eggs, usually laid late in April (Plate 54), varies from 

 buff to stone-colour, and the markings may be only specks and 

 blotches or a network of lines. On stony ground, a favourite 

 site, the eggs are difficult to see ; indeed, from the egg onward 

 the life of the Stone-Curlew is spent in hiding itself from view. 

 The crouching habit — that of lying still and trusting to colour 

 and form to produce invisibility — is assumed so soon as the 

 chick is hatched, but at first is imperfect. 



The newly hatched bird (Plate 43) is a naturally protected 

 ball of sandy down, patterned with black, but when it lies still 

 in the presence of an imagined enemy it crouches in the position 

 adopted by many other young plovers, and not for some days, 

 according to Mr. Farren, does it flatten itself with outstretched 

 neck in the characteristic attitude of older juveniles (Plate 47) 

 and adult birds. When lying prone these shammers will allow 

 themselves to be touched or even lifted without moving. The 

 parent birds slip away and wisely leave the motionless young, 



