STONE-CURLEW. 
281 
clamouring in the evening With us, by day, at 
least, they haunt only the most dry, open, upland fields 
and sheep-walks, far removed from water." 
We have never observed this bird on the mainland on 
such early dates as those mentioned by White. 
In 1788, for example, he notes in his Journal that 
"stone-curlews clamour on the 27th of February; and 
on March ist, after it was dark, some were passing over 
the village, as might be perceived by their quick short 
note, which they use in their nocturnal excursions by 
way of watchword, that they may not stray and lose their 
companions. Thus we see, that retire whithersoever they 
may in the winter, they return again early in the spring, 
and are, as it now appears, the first summer birds that 
come back. Perhaps the mildness of the season may have 
quickened the emigration of the curlews this year." 
And again in March, 1790, he writes that they are 
"the earliest summer birds," whereas in former years 
he had given the place of honour either to the chiff-chaff 
or the wryneck. 
White never wearied of observing and describing the 
habits of this bird, and all Hampshire people, especially 
those who live in the curlew country, should be familiar 
with his admirable description. Some recent observers 
living at Selborne have fancied that the species has 
disappeared from the neighbourhood ; Professor Bell, for 
example, says that, although he had occasionally heard 
its cry, he had never seen one, alive or dead, in thirty 
years. 
But we have good reason to believe that it still nests 
within a very short distance of the historic village. For 
some reason or other the stone-curlew has developed not 
only highly protective colouring but also very suspicious 
