42 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



It seemed we were to have some luck at last, for 

 while we were searching along the ground in line, I was 

 fortunate enough to find two Courser's eggs on the 

 shoulder of a low hill, placed similarly in all other 

 respects to the previous egg, except that the surround- 

 ing stones were slightly larger. Remaining where I 

 was I called to the others, who came up and were much 

 pleased at my discovery. 



This nest I took photographs of, and then sent my 

 companions some distance away, where they waited 

 within hearing while I lay down under cover of a 

 tumble-down cairn of stones that stood on a slight 



o 



elevation about two hundred yards distant from the 

 eggs. I had not seen the bird so far, and wanted to 

 make sure that the eggs were being sat on. 



I had to wait quite half an hour before I saw the 

 Courser appear over the crest of the hill. She came 

 very slowly and cautiously, going in and out among the 

 stones, frequently stopping and standing still, then she 

 stood where I judged the eggs to be and sat down on 

 them, becoming, so far as the eye could tell, one among 

 a wilderness of stones. I waited a few minutes, then 

 whistled to Lorenzo and made him walk towards the 

 bird, I keeping my glasses on her all the time, as I did 

 not want her to see me rise from my hiding place. I 

 was also anxious to see how soon she would get up 

 from the eggs, to aid me in searching for other nests. 

 I was surprised to find that she did not rise till he was 

 within about seventy yards, although she could see 

 him coming all the while ; then she got up and began 

 walking away, zigzagging about among the stones and 

 stopping every few yards to look round, finally dis- 

 appearing behind the brow of the hill. 



