123 
NESTING HABITS OF THE STONE CURLEW. 
E. W. WADE, M.B.O.U. 
In November, 1908, I read a paper to the Vertebrate Section 
of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union on the Stone Curlew, 
and since then have had opportunities of photographing and 
studying the nesting habits of this bird. The habit of nesting 
in plantations is one to which our Wold birds are specially 
addicted. It is mentioned by Stevenson, in 1867, but he says 
that ‘ as soon as the trees attain any size all attractions cease.’ 
It is a matter for congratulation that in our county wooded 
districts, and those of considerable age, form its main shelter, 
for without the friendly co-operation of the keepers, which we 
have secured, the species must soon become extinct, as there 
is but little other Wold country left where it can escape perse- 
cution. This year I w r as fortunate in being able to visit the 
‘ breck ’ country of Norfolk, where the bird is still fairly 
plentiful, and where it appears, owing to the frequency with 
which it is brought into contact with man, to be less shy than 
our home birds. On nth May, 1913, I put myself under 
the care of a keeper w r ell acquainted with the habits of the 
bird, and made arrangements to photograph it on the nest. 
Having no shelter tent with me, I constructed a bough shelter 
beneath an isolated Scotch fir about eighty yards from the 
nest. We made a stack of turf overnight, at a distance of 
three feet from the nest, and next morning a quarter-plate 
camera was inserted in a hole cut in the side of this and a 
string led from there to the shelter. At 10-15 a - m - the keeper 
left me in the shelter. Very soon after, both birds appeared 
beneath a Scotch fir 150 yards away, close together. They 
commenced running backwards and forwards, gradually 
approaching the nest, till the hen settled down on the eggs, 
when the cock bird was preening himself twenty yards from 
her. He then left her to the duties of incubation. After 
exposing the plate, I left the shelter, when the bird ran a few 
yards, and then flew off close to the ground. Four times I 
went out to change the plates, twice accompanied by the 
keeper, and twice alone. When the keeper was with me she 
took twenty-five and fifteen minutes to return to the eggs, 
when I was alone the time was forty and thirty-two minutes, 
and in this latter case the run backwards and forwards was 
very much extended, especially on the part of the hen bird, 
who seemed anxious to see all round my shelter before returning 
to the eggs. Three times she sat with head up wind, once 
dow r n wind. Three times with the direction of the longer 
axis of the eggs, and once across it. Occasionally she sat up and 
turned the eggs. The method of leaving and returning tf 
1014 April 1. 
