BRITAINS BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 87 



not at all in the British Isles (not including the Channel 

 Islands) except as an uncommon migrant. 



Family, CEDICNEMID.E (Stone-Curlews). 



THE STONE=CURLEW, NORFOLK 

 PLOVER, OR THICK=KNEE 



((Edicnemus scolopax). 

 Plate 28. 



The Stone-Curlew, the last Wader on our list, is rather 

 a peculiar one, forming, indeed, so far as British birds 

 are concerned, a family by itself. In general appearance 

 and in many of its habits it betrays its distant rela- 

 tionship to the Bustards. In build it is quite Bustard- 

 like, and its favourite haunts are similar to those of 

 the members of that group — wide, open, stony uplands. 

 From this, and from the loud wailing cry, the name 

 ' Stone-Curlew ' is derived. But the species is rather un- 

 fortunate in its names, for all the three in common use 

 are in some way inaccurate and misleading. Stone-Curlew 

 is the most usual name, but a ' Curlew "* the bird obviously 

 is not. Neither is it a Plover, although the epithet 

 ' Norfolk ^ is quite appropriate, seeing that East Anglia is 

 one of the British strongholds of the species. The 

 popular name 'Thick-knee' refers to the fact that there 

 are swellings at the atikle-joinis, most prominent in 

 young birds. 



With the typical Wader protective plumage, the Stone- 

 Curlew combines the Bustard-like habit of crouching flat, 

 with neck outstretched, on the ground. At other times 

 the Stone-Curlew will seek to escape by fast i-unning over 

 the plains, the Bustard's usual mode of progression. It 



