THE STONE CURLEW OR THICK-KNEE 15 



THE STONE CURLEW OR THICK-KNEE. 

 (CEdicmmus Scolopax.) 



Male. — The bill is yellow at the base, black at the 

 end ; iris yellow ; upper parts of the plumage light 

 yellowish-red tinged with grey, streaked with black- 

 ish-brown. Smaller wing coverts cream colour ; 

 tips of secondary quills white, primaries black ; the 

 outer two with a large white patch about the middle ; 

 tail feathers mottled with brown and pale reddish- 

 yellow, with more or less white towards the end ; the 

 tips black. A band over the eye and a lengthened 

 band under it whitish, then a light brown band w^ith 

 dusky streaks ; fore-part and sides of neck and 

 breast light yellowish-red with dusky streaks. The 

 middle of the breast and belly white ; legs and feet 

 yellow. In the breeding season the cock-bird has a 

 knob the size of a large pea at the base of the bill ; 

 this mark only distinguishes him from his mate. 

 His length from bill to end of tail is seventeen 

 inches. 



The female is like the male in plumage, but the 

 knob at the base of the bill is wanting. 



