THE DOWNS. 49 
ranges during the breeding season, though its habit of either decamping 
early, or lying prone with neck outstretched, causes it to be overlooked 
unless its presence is previously suspected. In the evening it is more 
easily discovered. It is then far more active than by day, and places, 
which in the morning appeared untenanted, will now re-echo with its cry. 
I have found the eggs once after a two and a half hours’ search on a typical 
stone-covered hill. I saw the bird get up and run as I began to ascend 
the slope, and then lost sight of her, and when a Lapwing rose shortly 
afterwards I thought it must have been the runner. A Stone-Curlew then 
rose on the other side, and I wasted much time hunting in that direction, 
and it was only just at the last, when about to abandon the search, that I 
went to the spot where I saw the original runner, and almost immediately 
lighted on the eggs; the bird had run in a semicircle before taking wing. 
The eggs were easier to see than I had anticipated; they caught my eye 
when I was quite ten yards off, though there was no nest, and though 
they were amongst stones of very similar colour. 
But for its squatting propensity, the Stone-Curlew would be a most 
difficult bird to bring to bag, and it was long ere I obtained a specimen. 
In despair I descended once to the setting of traps among the gorse bushes. 
I caught one hedgehog, and injured several sheep, and then, returning to 
more orthodox methods, I became at length, after an ever-memorable chase, 
the proud possessor of a Hampshire bird. Carefully ascending the hill 
where I had once found the eggs, I soon saw the well-known form 
silhouetted against the sky-line, and looking uncommonly as if about to 
fly. I resorted to the oft-tried circle dodge, and sheered off to the right, 
and the bird, also changing its intention, proceeded to run instead. At 
this moment an unexpected obstacle presented itself in the shape of a 
second bird on the other side of me, and looking equally inclined to fly. 
Somewhat disconcerted by this embarras de richesse, for to have put up 
either bird would have been fatal, I sneaked along half-way between the 
two with my head down, and eyes half-closed, and thirty yards further on 
I saw that I should get a shot at the right-hand bird, which had also 
taken to running, and was now crouching behind some wire. Suddenly up 
it got, and rather flustered me by taking several beats straight towards 
where I stood. As it sheered sharply off I let drive with both barrels, and, 
to my unspeakable disgust, away it went apparently unharmed, while the 
second bird rose with a whirr behind me, and was soon also out of range. 
After weeks of stalking and scheming, I had lost the prize when almost 
within my very grasp. But no; as I turned for a farewell look at my 
E 
