600 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



so many other young birds^ of squatting close to the ground when menaced 

 by danger, where their protective tints shield them most efFectually. 



The Stone-Curlew is most active at nightfall, and searches for its food 

 during dusk and even at night. Its loud plaintive cry may often be heard 

 in its haunts at midnight, as the bird wings its way across the star- or moon- 

 lit sky. Its food consists chiefly of snails, slugs, worms, and beetles. 

 It feeds frequently on earwigs, and also captures frogs and lizards and 

 small mammals, such as field-mice. When the young can fly the Stone- 

 Curlew often visits the turnip-fields near its haunts, such situations usually 

 abounding with its favourite food. Towards autumn they become more' or 

 less gregarious : the broods and their parents unite into bands, sometimes 

 forming a flock of a hur^dred or more. These parties are probably formed 

 for the purpose of migrating. The Stone-Curlew is rather a silent bird 

 during the day ; but at sunset it becomes very clamorous, especially so on 

 moonlight nights, as if rejoicing at the favourable conditions for finding 

 its food. 



Almost every feather of the upper parts of the Stone-Curlew is- greyish 

 brown, with a dark -brown shaft-streak and a buff margin; but on the 

 underparts, the ground-colour of which is nearly white (except the under 

 tail-coverts, which are buff'), the streaks are confined to a moustachial 

 band and to the breast and flanks. Two obscure white bands across the 

 wings are formed by white centres to the wing-coverts, emphasized 

 by their dark tips. There is much white on the quills and outer tail- 

 feathers, which is conspicuous during flight. " BiU yellowish green from 

 the base to the nostrils, remainder black; legs and toes yellow, claws 

 brown ; irides yellow. The female does not diff'er from the male in colour. 

 Young in first plumage very closely resemble their parents, but are duller 

 in colour. When hatched the young are covered with pale huffish down, 

 mottled and striped on the upper parts with rich brown. After the 

 autumn moult the plumage of the Stpne-Curlew is the brightest and most 

 clearly defined, but by the foUowiag breeding-season much of its beauty is 

 lost by abrasion. 



