232 THE STONE-CURLEW 



African forms has been seen with a family of three young. Four eggs are 

 recorded as having been found on one occasion, probably the produce of two hens. 

 The eggs vary considerably, but the ground-colour is generally buff or stone colour, 

 irregularly blotched, streaked, and spotted with blackish brown and with ashy grey 

 shell-marks. (PI. K.) Some tend to show a zone of bold markings, others are uni- 

 formly covered with fine spots, or are covered with a thick network of vermicula- 

 tions. Average size of 51 eggs, 2*1 x 1'52 in. [53'3x38*6 mm.]. They are carelessly 

 deposited, generally some little distance apart and not touching one another. 

 Both sexes take part in incubation, relieving one another in turn (A. Trevor- 

 Battye). The eggs are not laid on consecutive days, but at intervals of a day, 

 and the incubation period lasts for 26-27 days (E. G. Meade-Waldo and E. W. 

 Wade). The first eggs may be found in the south of England as early as April 

 18th (quite exceptionally by April llth), but many birds do not lay till May. If 

 the first clutch is destroyed they will lay again, but only one brood is normally 

 reared in the season. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. Chiefly insects of various kinds especially beetles and their larvae 

 slugs, snails, and worms. They also eat small mammals especially fieldmice 

 (Yarrell, British Birds, iii. p. 228), lizards, and frogs (Stevenson, Birds of Norfolk, 

 ii. p. 63). Professor Patten found in the stomach of a bird from Retford a quantity 

 of earwig forceps and some vegetable matter (Aquatic Birds, p. 204). The young 

 are attended by both parents, and assisted by them in their search for food, which 

 consists chiefly at first of small insects, [w. F.] 



The British species of the Family Olareolidce are described in the supplementary 

 chapter on " Rare Birds " : 



Pratincole, Glareola pratincola (Linnaeus). 



Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni (Nordmann). [G. melano- 



ptera Nordmann.] 

 Cream-coloured Courser. Cursorius gallicus (Gmelin). [F. c. K. J.] 



