284 BRITISH BIRDS 



immediately, but squatted perfectly still for perhaps a minute, as 

 if to make sure it was not disturbed. And after the eggs were 

 satisfactorily disposed, and all the coast seemed clear, the bird would 

 close its eyes in the hot sunshine, and appear to go to sleep. ]'>ut 

 even then I could scarcely so much as move a tinker above tin- 

 ground but instantly it was off its nest and away.' 



It is very delightful to be thus let into the domestic secrets of so 

 shy and wary a bird by so close and sympathetic an observer as 

 Mr. Trevor-Battye. 



When anxious to avoid being seen the stone-curlew practises the 

 device of squatting close on the ground with its neck extended. 

 The South American rheas have a similar habit, and it is, perhaps, 

 possessed by other large birds that have a more or less protective 

 colouring and inhabit the open country. 



The stone-curlew feeds on slugs, worms, and insects, and also 

 devours mice and small reptiles. 



The family Glareolida* is represented in works on British birds 

 by one species, the collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola), a rare 

 straggler to Great Britain from Southern Europe. This bird comes 

 between the stone-curlew and the true plovers (family Charadriidee), 

 which follow. 



The cream-coloured courser (Cursor-ins galliciis) is another 

 rare straggler to England from Western Asia and North Africa. 



Golden Plover. 

 Charadrius pluvialis. 



Upper parts greyish black spotted with gamboge-yellow : above 

 the eye a white line, which continues down the neck to the thinks ; 

 under parts black. After the autumnal moult the under parts are 

 white, and the upper parts more yellow than in spring. The 

 female, in summer, has less black on the breast. Length, eleven 

 inches. 



The golden plover has for several centuries been in great esteem 

 for the table, its fame in this respect being equal to that of the 

 dotterel, woodcock, ruff, and black-tailed godwit. The two last 

 named have now ceased to exist in this country as breeding species. 



