5 I 6 STONE-CU RLEW, 



Yorkshire ; but northward it is of very rare occurrence, while west 

 of Herefordshire it is ahnost unknown. In Scotland one has been 

 obtained near St. Andrews ; in Ireland, according to Mr. More, 

 only six or eight examples have been met with. 



This species is only a straggler to Denmark, but it breeds, though 

 sparingly, in the northern districts of Germany, and is found in 

 summer throughout the temperate portions of Europe where the 

 localities are suitable ; while south of the Alps and the Carpathians 

 it is to a great extent resident, as it also is in the Canaries, and 

 probably in Madeira. It inhabits North Africa, Egypt, and the 

 coast of the Red Sea, but in Somali-land its representative is 

 CE. affinis, closely related to the widely-distributed South African 

 ffi". capensis. , In Asia our bird has not been noticed further north 

 tlian the wastes near the Saisan Lake (below the Altai range) ; 

 southward, in Afghanistan and India, reaching to Burma, a slightly 

 different form occurs — chiefly on sandy soils, though in Ceylon it 

 also frequents the cinnamon-gardens. Other members of the genus 

 are found in various parts of the African, Indian and Australian 

 regions, as well as in the tropical jwrtions of America. 



The eggs, usually 2 in number, are pale clay-brown, spotted and 

 streaked with ash-grey and umber: average measurements 2"i by 

 I '5 in. They are laid in a mere hollow scraped in the moor, or on 

 the sand, among scattered stones, which they much resemble ; 

 specimens from arid localities in the south of Europe, Africa, and 

 India being as a rule pale in colour and small in size. The male 

 often incubates during the day. Worms, slugs, and insects — 

 especially nocturnal beetles — form the principal diet of the Stone- 

 Curlew, though it also eats such small mammals as field-mice, as 

 well as frogs and reptiles. Its loud and clear cry is chiefly heard 

 after dusk, and on moonlight nights the birds are very noisy, but 

 during the day ihey are usually silent. 



The adult bird has the beak black at the point, greenish-yellow 

 at the base ; irides very large and golden-yellow; feathers of the upper 

 parts pale brown, with dark streaks down the centres ; wing-coverts 

 with dull white tips which form two narrow bars, quills nearly black ; 

 throat and a streak below the eye, white ; neck and breast buff, 

 streaked with dark brown ; belly paler ; vent and under tail-coverts 

 almost white ; legs and feet yellow. Length 17 in.; wing 975 in. 

 The sexes are alike in plumage ; the young are rather duller in 

 colour than the adults, and have more bars on the tail-feathers. 



