444 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



kind of a run, and though I waited another half an hour, nothing 

 would induce them to return, but I occasionally caught a glimpse 

 of the head of the male just showing over the top of the knoll, 

 and evidently prospecting to see if the ground was clear. Not 

 wanting to disturb the birds, I left my hiding-place, but I never 

 had another opportunity of watching them, for they would 

 not again approach the nest without first carefully scanning the 

 gorse-bush, and making sure that no one was concealed there. 



Eggs of the Stone Curlew, (Edicnemns crepitans. From a photograph 

 by Mr. C. E. Salmon, of Beigate. 



I watched these eggs hatching, and noticed an interesting 

 fact connected therewith that I think deserves recording. 



Both eggs were sprung on the 31st May: on the morning of 

 June 1st, the eggs had two little holes in them, and the beaks of 

 the nestlings were showing inside ; at 6 p.m. on that day the first 

 bird hatched, and at that hour was half out of the shell, and still 

 wet, the egg having evidently only just broken ; at 8 p.m. I again 

 examined the nest, and found the first bird quite dry, and the 

 still remaining egg not yet broken, though clearly on the point of 

 doing so. But the egg-shell which I had seen in the nest at 6 p.m. 

 was now nowhere to be seen. This was unquestionably removed 

 by the parent birds as soon as the young one was hatched and 



