THE THICK-KNEE OR STONE CURLEW 239 



FAMILY CHARADRIIDiE 



THE THICK-KNEE OR STONE CURLEW 



lEDICNEMUS scolopax 



Upper parts reddish ash with a white spot in the middle of each feather ; 

 space between the eye and beak, throat, belly, and thighs, white ; neck 

 and breast tinged with red, and marked with line longitudinal brown 

 streaks ; a white longitudinal bar on the wing ; first primary with a 

 large white spot in the middle ; second, with a small one on the inner web ; 

 lower tail-coverts reddish, the feathers, except those in the middle, 

 tipped with black ; beak black, yellowish at the base ; irides, orbits, 

 and feet, yellow. Length seventeen inches. Eggs yellowish brown clouded 

 with greenish, blotched and spotted with dusky and olive. 



Though a citizen of the world, or at least of the eastern hemis- 

 phere, this bird is commonly known under the name of Norfolk 

 Plover, from its being more abundant in that county than in any 

 other. It is also called Thick-knee, from the robust conformation 

 of this joint ; and Stone Curlew, from its frequenting waste stony 

 places and uttering a note which has been compared to the sound 

 of the syllables ctirlui or turhti. Like the Cuckoo, it is more fre- 

 quently heard than seen, but that only by night. In some of its 

 habits it resembles the Bustard, and is said even to associate, in 

 Northern Africa, with the Lesser Bustard. Its favourite places 

 of resort are extensive plains ; it runs rapidly when disturbed, and 

 when it does take wing, flies for a considerable distance near the 

 ground before mounting into the air. It frequents our open heaths 

 and chalk downs and breeds in Romney Marsh and in the uplands 

 of Kent and Sussex. 



By day the Thick-knee confines itself to the ground, either 

 crouching or hunting for food, which consists of worms, slugs, and 

 beetles, under stones, which it is taught by its instinct to turn over. 

 After sunset, it takes flight, and probably rises to a great height, 

 as its plaintive whistle, which somewhat resembles the wail of a 

 human being, is often heard overhead when the bird is invisible. 

 It is singularly shy, and carefully avoids the presence of human 

 beings, whether sportsmen or labourers. Yet it is not destitute 

 of courage, as it has been seen to defend its nest with vigour against 

 the approach of sheep or even of dogs. Nest, properly speaking, 

 it has none, for it contents itself with scratching a hole in the ground 

 and depositing two eggs. The males are supposed to assist in the 

 office of incubation. The young inherit the faculty of running at 

 an early age, being able to leave their birth-place with facility 

 soon after they are hatched ; but the development of their wings 

 is a work of time, for their body has attained its full size long before 

 they are able to rise from the ground. Before taking their depar- 

 ture southwards in autumn, they assemble in smaU parties, number- 

 ing from four to six or seven, when they are somewhat more easy 



