CEDICNEMUS CEDICNEMUS 287 



Family (EDICNEMID^. 



(EDICNEMUS CEDICNEMUS (Linneeus). 



STONE-CURLEW. 



Charadrius oedicnemus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 255 (1766). 



(Edicnemus oedicnemus, Brusina, Motr. dc. {Orii. Croatia), p. 86 (1890) ; 

 Sharpc, Gat. Birds Brit. Mas. xxiv, p. 4. 



(Edicnemus crepitans, Malherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Ahj. p. 19 (1846) ; 

 Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 258 (1867) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, 

 p. 268 ; id. J.f. 0. 1893, p. 82 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 99. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Khangat-Sloughi, Central Tunisia. 



Upper plumage generally sandy-buff, greyer in some parts and more 

 rufescent in others, the whole streaked with dark brown ; superciliary stripes 

 and stripes below the eyes whitish-buff; quills black, the two outer primaries 

 with large white patches towards the tips ; upper wing- coverts barred with 

 white ; median rectrices grey, mottled with dark brown, the remainder 

 white, barred and tipped with black ; chin and throat whitish ; breast pale 

 buff, striped with dark brown ; abdomen and crissum white ; under tail- 

 coverts rufescent-buff. 



Iris, which is very large, bright yellow ; bill black at the tip, greenish- 

 yellow at the base ; feet yellow. 



Total length 15 inches, wing 9-50, culmen 1-50, tarsus 3. 



Adult female, similar to the male. 



The Stone-Curlew is resident, and to some extent migi-atory in 

 Tunisia, and is to be met with in suitable localities throughout the 

 Regency generally. In Algeria and Marocco it is also not at all 

 uncommon, and it has been recorded from the Canaries, Madeira, and 

 the Azores. In North-east Africa it is plentiful in Egypt and Nubia, 

 and is to be found in South Arabia, and on the shores of the Eed Sea. 

 In Europe the species occurs chiefly as a visitor, north of the Alps, 

 but is, to a great extent, resident south of those mountains. East- 

 wards its range extends throughout a considerable part of Asia, and 

 as far as India. 



The Stone-Curlew frequents open stony plains and uncultivated 

 localities bare of trees and high bushes. Here it passes the greater 

 part of the day in retirement, coming forth of an evening to feed, for 

 the species is chiefly crepuscular and nocturnal in its habits, and its 

 cry may constantly be heard at night, particularly when there is a 



