326 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
of most of the southern and eastern counties, but in the west 
of England, Scotland, and Ireland it has only very rarely 
been reported. 
Sandy brown in colour, it assimilates so well with its sur- 
roundings that it is very difficult to see, and when approached 
will often ‘‘squat,” stretching its neck out to its fullest extent, 
and so escape observation. It runs with great rapidity and 
flies strongly, its flight being not unlike that of a Pigeon, 
while the white bars on the wing-coverts show up conspicu- 
ously. Its food, which is chiefly taken at dusk and dawn, 
consists of insects of all kinds, especially beetles. 
Living as it frequently does in districts away from water, 
it journeys nightly to a favourite watering-place. The note is 
a loud whistling cry, which is uttered at night, and during the 
early spring these birds are very noisy. 
Both sexes assist in the duties of incubation and rearing of 
the young, who, when first hatched, are pale buff with a longi- 
tudinal dark line down each side of the back. Their legs are 
much thickened, a feature common to many limicoline birds, 
and this has led to this species being sometimes known as the 
‘‘Thick-Knee.” In August old and young gather together 
in flocks and migrate soon afterwards, though occasionally 
specimens have been known to pass the winter in this country. 
The sexes are alike in plumage. The upper parts are of a 
uniform sandy brown, with dark streaks down the centres of 
the feathers, some of the wing-coverts being tipped with white 
to form two narrow bars. Neck and breast pale brown streaked 
with darker. Throat and belly white. There is also a white 
stripe under each eye. Bill yellow, with a black tip; legs 
greenish yellow. Length, roughly, 16 in. ; wing 9°25 in. 
