600 BRITISH BIRDS. 
so many other young birds, of squatting close to the ground when menaced 
by danger, where their protective tints shield them most effectually. 
The Stone-Curlew is most active at nightfall, and searches for its food 
during dusk and even at night. Its loud plaintive cry may often be heard 
in its haunts at midnight, as the bird wings its way across the star- or moon- 
ht sky. Its food consists chiefly of snails, slugs, worms, and_ beetles. 
It feeds frequently on earwigs, and also captures frogs and lizards and 
small mammals, such as field-mice. When the young can fly the Stone- 
Curlew often visits the turnip-fields near its haunts, such situations usually 
abounding with its favourite food. Towards autumn they become more or 
less gregarious: the broods and their parents unite into bands, sometimes 
forming a flock of a hundred or more. These parties are probably formed 
for the purpose of migrating. The Stone-Curlew is rather a silent bird 
during the day ; but at sunset it becomes very clamorous, especially so on 
moonlight nights, as if rejoicing at the favourable conditions for finding 
its food. 
Almost every feather of the upper parts of the Stone-Curlew is greyish 
brown, with a dark-brown shaft-streak and ‘a buff margin; but on the 
underparts, the ground-colour of which is nearly white (except the under 
tail-coverts, which are buff), the streaks are confined to a moustachial 
band and to the breast and flanks. Two obscure white bands across the 
wings are formed by white centres to the wing-coverts, emphasized 
by their dark tips. There is much white on the quills and outer tail- 
feathers, which is conspicuous during flight. Bill yellowish green from 
the base to the nostrils, remainder black; legs and toes yellow, claws 
brown; irides yellow. The female does not differ from the male in colour. 
Young in first plumage very closely resemble their parents, but are duller 
in colour. When hatched the young are covered with pale buffish down, 
mottled and striped on the upper parts with rich brown. After the 
_ autumn moult the plumage of the Stone-Curlew is the brightest and most 
clearly defined, but by the following breeding-season much of its beauty is 
lost by abrasion. 
