ON THE HABITS OF THE STONE CURLEW. 443 



on which the eggs are laid is generally brown at first, but, as 

 incubation proceeds, the rain and the sun gradually transform 

 this brown colour into a dull grey, by washing the brown earth 

 and leaving the sandy particles on the top. This is a point 

 which, I think, may be of some small service to the birds, for the 

 darker colour seems more protective for the eggs and the lighter 

 tint for the nestlings. The Stone Curlew generally makes 

 its scanty nest in the middle of a bare field or moorland waste, 

 so that it is quite impossible to approach without the bird seeing 

 the intruder, and she always steals quietly away at the earliest 

 threatening of danger, leaving her eggs to take care of themselves, 

 and well aware of the danger of remaining by them. I have never 

 heard the Stone Curlew utter any note during the daytime, 

 whether disturbed from the nest or merely flushed by chance, 

 but after sundown they become very noisy, and their weird cries 

 may be heard throughout the night, ceasing only as the morning 

 begins to dawn. The local name in this district is " Shriek 

 Owl" (from the cry, of course), and the name is appropriate. 

 This cry is generally described as a whistle, even a " melodious" 

 whistle ; possibly this is the best description of it, but I always 

 think it wants some epithet added to it, such as "weird" or 

 "ghostly." Their wild cries, ringing out loud and clear on a 

 still night, always suggest something uncanny. 



I had this year an excellent opportunity of watching a pair of 

 these birds which laid in their usually exposed situation on the 

 common, but within about seventy yards of a large gorse-bush. 

 I constantly tried to observe them by stalking behind this bush, 

 but always failed, till at last the idea occurred to me of walking 

 boldly up, disturbing them, and then laying up in the gorse-bush. 

 This proved successful. After waiting about half an hour, I had 

 the pleasure of seeing the female bird steal up to the nest and 

 settle on the eggs. The male bird appeared at the same time, and 

 stood on a raised knoll at some distance from the nest, evidently 

 on sentry duty, and watching for danger from every quarter. 



While I was looking at them, I unfortunately broke a small 

 twig of gorse, in trying to shift myself into a more comfortable 

 position. In a moment I was detected : both birds turned their 

 heads sharply in my direction ; the male disappeared over the 

 side of the knoll ; the. female raised herself off the eggs, and stole 

 away, with head lowered and neck extended, at a fast crouching 



2n2 



