328 OBSERVATIONS ON 



STONE CURLEW. 



On the 27th of February 1788, stone curlews were heard to 

 pipe ; and on March 1st, after it was dark, some were passing 

 over the village, as might be perceived by their quick, short note, 

 which they use in their nocturnal excursions by way of watch- 

 word, that they may not stray and lose their companions. 



Thus, we see, that retire whithersoever they may in the winter, 

 they return again early in the spring, and are, as it now appears, 

 the first summer birds that come back. Perhaps the mildness of 

 the season may have quickened the emigration of the curlews 

 this year. 



They spend the day in high, elevated fields and sheep-walks ; 

 but seem to descend in the night to streams and meadows, 

 perhaps for water, which their upland haunts do not afford 

 them. 



THE SMALLEST WILLOW-WREN. 



The smallest uncrested or willow-wren, or chiiF-chaff, is the next 

 early summer bird which we have remarked ; it utters two sharp 

 piercing notes, so loud in hollow woods, as to occasion an echo, 

 and is usually first heard about the 20th of March. 



FERN-OWL, OR GOATSUCKER. 



The country people have a notion that the fern-owl, or churn- 

 owl, or eve-jarr, which they also call a puckeridge, is very in- 

 jurious to weanling calves, by inflicting, as it strikes at them, 

 the fatal distemper known to cow-leeches by the name of pucke- 

 ridge. Thus does this harmless ill-fated bird fall under a double 

 imputation which it by no means deserves — in Italy, of sucking 

 the teats of goats, whence it is called caprimulgus ; and with us, 

 of communicating a deadly disorder to cattle. But the truth of 

 the matter is, the malady above mentioned is occasioned by the 

 oestrux bovis, a dipterous insect, which lays its eggs along the 

 chines of kine, where the maggots, when hatched, eat their way 

 through the hide of the beast into the flesh, and grow to a very 

 large size. I have just talked with a man, who says, he has more 

 than once stripped calves who have died of the puckeridge ; that 



