STONE-CURLEW. 599 



takes wing. These two eggs were similar in size and shape, but very 

 different in style of coloration. As before, there was nothing but a 

 slight hollow scratched in the black peat. Although the eggs are very 

 conspicuous, and there is obviously no attempt at concealment, their very 

 conspicuousness assists in their concealment. In the localities chosen for 

 depositing its eggs, the Stone-Curlew selects a place where the heath is 

 short. Where we found them brown stones and white flints were lying 

 in all directions, and were far more conspicuous than the eggs ; it was 

 only when we began to look out for double stones that we found how easy 

 it was to discover the eggs. The sitting bird seems to rely upon its 

 powers of observation to escape enemies, and chooses a situation where it 

 can see all round, regardless of whether it can be seen or not. We did not 

 hear the birds utter any note, except a distant plaintive cry, like the wail 

 of the Golden Plover. The actions of the birds at the nest are, however, 

 most un-pl6ver-like, and in its habits this species certainly resembles the 

 Bustards. 



The eggs of the Stone-Curlew (two in number*) vary from pale huffish 

 or creamy white to rich clay -buff in ground-colour, spotted, blotched, and 

 streaked with light and dark brown, and with underlying markings of lilac 

 or grey. Some specimens are very boldly spotted and blotched, chiefly at 

 the large end ; others are evenly marked with spots and blotches, many of 

 the latter being connected by streaky lines of paler brown. Two very 

 handsome eggs in my collection have the large brown blotches very 

 irregular, and aU. more or less streaky in appearance. Some specimens 

 have the markings very small and distributed over the entire surface ; and 

 less frequently a nearly plain type occurs, with only a few blotches here 

 and there, or the large end of the egg is very finely scratched and streaked, 

 with one or two large grey spots. On some eggs most of the mark- 

 ings are underlying ones ; on others very few of these are to be seen : the 

 intensity of the brown also varies considerably, some of it being almost 

 black. The eggs vary in length from 2;^ to 3"0 inch, and in breadth from 

 1"6 to 1*49 inch. The only eggs with which they are at all likely to be 

 confused are those of the Oyster-catcher, but the eggs of the latter bird are 

 larger and the markings are darker and much bolder and more decided. 

 Both birds assist in the duties of incubation. Only one brood is reared 

 in the year; but if the first eggs are destroyed others will be laid, and 

 fresh eggs have been obtained as late as September. The young are 

 clothed in down and are able to run almost as soon as they are hatched ; 

 they are very pretty little creatures, and possess the habit, in common with 



* Hume says that two is the ordinary number in India, but that he has frequently 

 taken three — ^the proportion of the latter to the former being ahout one neat in ten. He 

 also says that the nest is sometimes lined with a few blades of grass. The places it selects 

 in India for nidification are also different in many respects from those in this country. 



