. Birds of Britain . picuously. Its food, which is chiefly taken at dusk anddawn, consists of insects of all kinds, especially beetles. Living as it frequently does in districts away from water,it journeys nightly to a favourite watering-place. The noteis a loud whistling cry, which is uttered at night, andduring the early spring these birds are very noisy. The two eggs are deposited towards the end of April orbeginning of May on the bare ground, a spot where thereare many loose stones, among which they are very difficultto see, being usually chosen. In colour the eggs are pale clayspotted and
. Birds of Britain . picuously. Its food, which is chiefly taken at dusk anddawn, consists of insects of all kinds, especially beetles. Living as it frequently does in districts away from water,it journeys nightly to a favourite watering-place. The noteis a loud whistling cry, which is uttered at night, andduring the early spring these birds are very noisy. The two eggs are deposited towards the end of April orbeginning of May on the bare ground, a spot where thereare many loose stones, among which they are very difficultto see, being usually chosen. In colour the eggs are pale clayspotted and streaked with dark brown, those in the sameclutch being often very dissimilar in markings. Both sexesassist in the duties of incubation and rearing of the young,who, when first hatched, are pale buff with a longitudinaldark line down each side of the back. Their legs are muchthickened, a feature common to many Limicoline birds,and this has led to this species being sometimes known 294 STONE CURLEW(Edicnemus scolopax. The Stone-Curlew as the Thick-Knee. In August old and young gathertogether in flocks and shortly afterwards take their de-parture, though occasionally individuals have been knownto pass the winter in this country. The sexes are alike in plumage. The upper parts are ofa uniform sandy brown, with dark streaks down the centresof the feathers; some of the wing coverts tipped withwhite to form two narrow bars. Neck and breast palebrown streaked with darker. Throat and belly is also a white stripe under each eye. Bill yellowwith a black tip; legs greenish yellow. Length 16 in. ;wing 9*25 in. The young are similar to their parents but browner, andthe tail feathers are more barred. THE PRATINCOLE Glareola pratincola (Linnseus) The Pratincole is a native of Northern Africa, Asia Minor,and Palestine, but it also nests in certain suitable districtsin South Europe, where it is only known as a summervisitor. In England it has not infrequently been taken onboth spri
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