THE DOWNS. 49 



ranges during the breeding season, though its habit of either decamping 

 early, or lying prone with neck outstretched, causes it to be overlooked 

 unless its presence is previously suspected. In the evening it is more 

 easily discovered. It is then far more active than by day, and places, 

 which in the morning appeared untenanted, will now re-echo with its cry. 

 I have found the eggs once after a two and a half hours' search on a typical 

 stone-covered hill. I saw the bird get up and run as I began to ascend 

 the slope, and then lost sight of her, and when a Lapwing rose shortly 

 afterwards I thought it must have been the runner. A Stone-Curlew then 

 rose on the other side, and I wasted much time hunting in that direction, 

 and it was only just at the last, when about to abandon the search, that I 

 went to the spot where I saw the original runner, and almost immediately 

 lighted on the eggs ; the bird had run in a semicircle before taking wing. 

 The eggs were easier to see than I had anticipated ; they caught my eye 

 when I was quite ten yards off, though there was no nest, and though 

 they were amongst stones of very similar colour. 



But for its squatting propensity, the Stone-Curlew would be a most 

 difficult bird to bring to bag, and it was long ere I obtained a specimen. 

 In despair I descended once to the setting of traps among the gorse bushes. 

 I caught one hedgehog, and injured several sheep, and then, returning to 

 more orthodox methods, I became at length, after an ever-memorable chase, 

 the proud possessor of a Hampshire bird. Carefully ascending the hill 

 where I had once found the eggs, I soon saw the well-known form 

 silhouetted against the sky-line, and looking uncommonly as if about to 

 fly. I resorted to the oft-tried circle dodge, and sheered off to the right, 

 and the bird, also changing its intention, proceeded to run instead. At 

 this moment an unexpected obstacle presented itself in the shape of a 

 second bird on the other side of me, and looking equally inclined to fly. 

 Somewhat disconcerted by this embarras de richesse, for to have put up 

 either bird would have been fatal, I sneaked along half-way between the 

 two with my head down, and eyes half-closed, and thirty yards further on 

 I saw that I should get a shot at the right-hand bird, which had also 

 taken to running, and was now crouching behind some wire. Suddenly up 

 it got, and rather flustered me by taking several beats straight towards 

 where I stood. As it sheered sharply off I let drive with both barrels, and, 

 to my unspeakable disgust, away it went apparently unharmed, while the 

 second bird rose with a whirr behind me, and was soon also out of range. 

 After weeks of stalking and scheming, I had lost the prize when almost 

 within my very grasp. But no ; as I turned for a farewell look at my 



B 



