BRITISHDIRDS 



EDITED BY H. F. WITHERBY, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 

 ASSISTED BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S, M.B.O.U. 



Contents of Number 10. March 2, 1908. 



The Crouching Habit of the Stone-Curlew, by William 



Farren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 301 



On Some Bird Remains from the Broch of Ayre. Orkney, 



by N. F. Ticehurst, f.r.c.s . . . . 309 



The Lesser Redpoll as a Breeding Species in Berkshire, by 



Major F. W. Proctor, m.b.o.u. . . . . . . . . 312 



On the More Important Additions to our Knowledge of 

 British Birds since 1899, by H. F. Witherby and N. F. 

 Ticehurst (Part VIII.) — continued from page 284 . . 314 



Notes : — Wood-Pigeon Enquiry (C. B. Ticehurst). The 

 Preservation of Rare British Breeding Birds (Eds.). 

 Bird Migration (Eds.). Black Redstart near Dublin 

 (Eds.). Lesser Whitethroat in Cumberland (Charles 

 Oldham). Cirl Bunting in Merionethshire (L. W. 

 Crouch). The Incubation Period in the Cuckoo 

 (Heatley Noble). Three Cuckoo's Eggs in a Robin's 

 Nest (J. F. Green). Common Bittern in Yorkshire 

 (E. S. Steward). Common Snipe Nesting in August 

 (H. E. Forrest). A Marked Snipe (C. B^ Ticehurst). 

 Greenshank in Staffordshire (W. Wells Bladen). Large 

 Clutch of Eggs of the Great Crested Grebe (L. W. 

 Crouch) 323 



Books Published during February . . . . . . . . 328 



THE CROUCHING HABIT OF THE STONE-CURLEW. 



BY 



WILLIAM FARREN. 



All who have watched the Stone-Curlew {(Edicnemus 

 scolopax) at home will agree that, with regard to protective 

 devices, it is the most highly specialized of the Plover 

 family in this country. It observes the precautions 

 traditional to the family to secure its eggs and young from 

 discovery, but with a cunning unapproached by any of its 



