58 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



The arrival of these birds in spring occurs generally 

 about the second week in April, when an occasional 

 straggler may be found on the sea-shore, as on April 

 17th, 1866, when a single stone-curlew was shot on 

 Yarmouth beach. In that neighbourhood, however, 

 as stated by the Messrs. Paget, it is but rarely met 

 with. There is no " nest," but the two eggs are laid on 

 the bare ground, which, being of a light nature, becomes 

 worn into a shallow depression by the movements of 

 the sitting bird; and so much do the general tints of 

 the eggs assimilate to those of the sandy soil around 

 that the novice finds as much difficulty in detecting 

 them as those of the ring-dotterel on a shingly beach. 

 The eggs vary extremely in the disposition and colour 

 of their markings, as shown by the three examples 

 figured by Hewitson ("Brit. Bds.' Eggs," 3rd ed.), two 

 taken from specimens in the late Mr. Salmon's collec- 

 tion; and a third from that of Mr. Alfred Newton, 

 who possesses a wonderful series from the Thetford 

 country, which exhibits very many beautiful and unu- 

 sual varieties. Both parents would seem to share in 

 the work of incubation, as Mr. Salmon on one occasion 

 ascertained, by dissection, that several birds snared on 

 their nests during the day time were all males. Whether, 

 if undisturbed, they have more than one brood in the 

 season I am unable to say, but if the first nest is robbed 

 other eggs will be met with in a fresh state, up to a 

 very late period, as, on the llth of September, 1851, 

 Mr. Dowell and Mr. Lubbock, when shooting at Harling, 

 found two eggs of the stone-curlew, the old birds rising 

 not far off; and on the 9th of October the parents were 

 seen again, but the eggs had been taken. The young 

 in their first down are pretty little creatures, and, when 

 squatting to avoid detection, are as difficult to find 

 as the eggs. They follow their parents in search of 

 food, almost from their birth, hiding amongst the loose 

 stones on the least appearance of danger, and a very 



