STONE-PLOVER. 
Mr. E. J. Christian writes : “ Up here in Northern Victoria one occa- 
sionally sees a pair, never less, but more often hears the long drawn-out 
weird call by night. Their protective coloring and cunning protects them 
from their enemies. One will often see one of these birds take the position 
of a stick, especially in places where much wood lies on the ground. The other 
day I saw one before it saw me, and so was able to watch it. I rode up 
towards it, and it soon saw me, and instantly took the shape of a thin piece 
of wood sticking out of the ground. It puzzled me for a moment or two to 
distinguish it from pieces of wood, although I still had my eyes on it. 
“ A large flock passed over here in July, 1903, and although late at 
night, one could guess that it was not very small by the length of time one 
could hear the call. I generally find these birds in timbered water-courses, 
where they seem to find food by looking amongst the thick layers of dead 
and mouldy green leaves. I, however, saw two to-day (May, 1908) on a high- 
timbered ridge. They are also to be found amongst the rushes round swamps 
and that is where they nest here. It is extremely difficult to find their eggs, 
which are laid on the ground. In the daytime they seldom use their wings 
for long, and then just rise off the ground. They are very quick runners and, 
having long legs, they cover the ground quickly with their long strides. Tliey 
are not as a rule very shy and will let one approach fairly close before moving. 
I have never seen them verj?^ far from timber, but last spring I was riding 
about 400 yards from the trees on the open plain and I found two young ones, 
lying very close to each other and looking very like a piece of wood ; when 
I handled them they looked at me in a helpless way, but when I put them 
down they ran off to the water at full speed.” 
“ Generally distributed over the county [of Cumberland]. Usually seen 
siiigly or in pairs, but on one occasion at Toongabbie I saw a flock of seven. 
The mournful and depressive note of this species resembling ‘ Kooloo, Kooloo,’ 
is usually heard at night.”* 
“ Although nocturnal in habit these birds are extremely wary in the 
brightest sunshine. On the approach of an intruder they run off very 
rapidly, and only fly when followed. At times they will lie flat on the 
ground as if dead, and in this position I caught two of them near Heidelberg. 
They are usually found in pairs in open forests. At night they utter a loud 
weird note which sounds like ‘ wetlo,’ or ‘ curlew,’ which probably accounts 
for their being confused with the Curlew by our bush naturalists. ’’f 
“ At times these Plovers performed peculiar antics or dances. When 
in this humour one of the birds would run with outstretched wings 20 or 
* North, Birds County Gumberl., p. 109, 1898. 
t Keartland, Birds Melh. Distr., p. 114, 1900. 
VOL. m. 
349 
