200 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



hoo-00-ce, it drops lightly and runs forward with crest erect. 

 During aerial display the Peewit often flies round in curves 

 and circles, swinging from side to side and beating the air 

 with a loud humming or soughing sound. This is not all the 

 performance ; the male scrapes and sits in imaginary nests, 

 turning in them as he scratches the hollow in frenzied haste, 

 or bending forward, breast to ground, raises and exhibits the 

 chestnut coverts and banded tail. In May I have heard the 

 spring call before daybreak. 



So long as the site is open the nest may be anywhere, a 

 shallow scrape in grass, on the ridge between furrows, in moor- 

 land ling, even on a cinder spoil-bank. A few bents or straws 

 are collected as decoration by the sitting bird, and occasionally 

 mild efforts at nest construction are made. Four olive or dark- 

 buff eggs, richly mottled (Plate 57), are arranged end to end ; 

 clutches of five are rare. They are often laid in March, 

 but so systematically are the nests robbed that young birds 

 may be still unable to fly in August. The sitting bird 

 leaves the nest silently, running for a few yards, and artlessly 

 pretending to feed; then the pair will fly overhead, wailing, 

 and, if the nest is threatened, dashing with a loud, angry 

 peet at the head ot the enemy. The rufous, black-marbled 

 down of the nestling is protective, and at the first warning 

 call it crouches with head back, but not always hiding the white 

 collar (Plate 83). I have lain beside the chick and watched the 

 old bird run toward me, stopping every few feet to peck at 

 imaginary food, until within four yards, and after I have ringed 

 and released downy young they would run off and pretend to 

 feed. Nestlings disturbed in the open will run for shelter. 

 Thoughlhe parent birds will swoop at and strive to drive away 

 a man, a dog, or even a cow which crosses their domains, it is 

 incorrect to affirm, as many do, that they never feign disability 

 in order to lure the enemy away. Commander Lynes saw one 

 bird thus tempting a stoat away from its young, and I have 

 seen a similar performance. 



