246 THE STONE-CURLEW 



that authors have generally directed attention to it as a characteristic 

 of this species. 



Towards the end of summer there is a gradual return to the 

 social life, and in August the great autumn gatherings commence. 

 The bird now appears to become more truly nocturnal in its habits. 

 Little groups of four or five birds may be seen standing or squatting 

 sleepily about the fallows, and now and again one, apparently more 

 awake than the rest, will utter a squeaky dhu-le-eep, several times 

 repeated. Towards the evening the lethargy of the day wears off, the 

 birds seem imbued with new life, and from all parts of the fallows and 

 warrens they gather in to certain favourite assembling places. As 

 they come they raise their voices cour-li-vee, cour-li-vee, and the long 

 wailing cries echoing from far and near form a fitting accompaniment 

 to the general desolate wildness of the scene. They have not altogether 

 lost their stately decorous bearing of the spring, but at these autumnal 

 gatherings there is an exciting influence at work that causes them to 

 forget themselves, as it were ; they emerge from their cloak of dignified 

 reserve, and do mad things in what seems the joy of each other's 

 company, and in the opinion of Mr. Selous in anticipation of the 

 pleasures of the coming night. For detailed accounts of these social 

 antics or dances of the stone-curlew the reader is referred to the 

 works of Mr. Selous, who spent much time in watching them at this 

 season of the year. 1 



There is no set dance in which several birds take part, but all 

 seem to act independently and spasmodically. Birds which have 

 been standing still will suddenly commence to run not with the 

 little paddling steps as in the day when seeking to escape observa- 

 tion, but with a fine swinging gait, often raising their wings as they 

 do so. Then others in different parts of the plateau will follow suit, 

 and as they raise their wings, revealing the light under-surfaces, they 

 flicker and flash into and out of sight in the gathering dusk. They 

 have a quaint way of throwing themselves forward, and holding their 



1 Bird Watching, see Index ; Bird-life Glimpses, see Index ; Zoologist, pp. 173, 270, 458 et seq. 



