PLOVERS. 77 



published his " Handbook of British Birds " in 1872. 

 In Dorsetshire, however, it must be a very rare bird, 

 for I have not heard of more than one instance of its 

 occurrence in the county. This was a hen bird in 

 my collection, shot December 26, 1853, on Fossil 

 Common, Winfrith. 



OEDER LIMICOL.E. 



Fau. (Edicnemid^. 

 STONE-CURLEW. GEdicnemus crepitans, Tern. 



QE. scolopax (Gmeliii), Yarrell, iii. p. 225 ; Dresser, vii. p. 401 ; 

 Ibis List, p. 155 ; CBdiciiemus crepitans, Harting, p. 42 ; 

 Seehohm, ii. p. 596 ; Charadrius oedicnemus, Pulteneijs 

 List, p. 16. 



The Stone-Curlew or Thick-Knee is a summer 

 visitant, usually frequenting the chalk uplands of 

 the county. Its eggs are not unfrequcntly found 

 on the winter fallows, where many are unfortunately 

 destroyed by the practice of rolling the wheat in 

 spring. This fate attended two nests at Pimperne 

 in the spring of 1885. A chick was brought to me 

 alive in July 1873, which I caused to be restored to 

 the field from which it was taken, and not too late, 

 as I hoped, to be recovered by the parents. I have 

 notes of this species being shot on their autumn 

 migration at Bingham's Melcombe, at Kimmeridge, 

 and near Encombe ; Pulteney especially refers to 



