KITE AND LAPWING 63 



we learn that two or three hundred years ago it was a common 

 sight to see this species hawking in the London streets. The 

 deeply-forked tail is sufficient to identify this, the largest 

 British bird of prey. 

 Plumage. — Above, reddish-brown; the feathers have pale edges, 

 those of the head and neck long, tapering to a point, greyish- 

 white, with lengthwise streaks of brown; rust-colour under- 

 neath, with longitudinal brown streaks; reddish-orange tail, 

 barred faintly with brown; horn-coloured beak; yellow irides, 

 cere, and feet; black claws. The female is of a deeper brown 

 above, and the feathers are pale at the extremity; white head 

 and neck. Length. — Twenty-five inches. 



LAPWING (Vanellus vulgaris) 



Local Names. — Bastard Plover, Common Lapwing, Crested Lap- 

 wing, French Pigeon, Green Lapwing, Green Plover, Lapwing 

 Sandpiper, Peeseweep, Peewit, Piwipe, Plover, Puit, Teachet, 

 Tee-Whaup, Tee-Wit, Teuchit, Teu-Fit, Tuet Flopwing, Tufit. 



Haunt. — Fields, meadows, marshes, etc. 



Nesting Period. — March to June. 



Site of Nest. — A depression in the ground. 



Materials Used. — Bents, a few straws, dry grass, etc. Often none. 



Eggs. — Four. Olive-green, heavily blotched 

 with black or blackish-brown. Very 

 pointed at one end. 



Food. — Insects and their larvae, earthworms, 

 slugs, etc. 



Voice. — Two shrill notes resembling its local 

 name of Peewit. 



Chief Features. — Not only an interesting bird, 

 but one of the most useful. An indis- 

 putable farmer's friend. A fine bird Fig. 20. Head of 

 upon the wing as it wheels round and Lapwing. 

 round, swooping and falling. A flock 



seen feeding and then put to flight has a very pleasing effect. 

 Parent birds have a ruse of attempting to lure the intruder 

 away from eggs or young. 



Plumage. — Greenish-black on crown and crest; whitish on sides of 

 neck, above metallic-green with purple reflections ; black quills ; 

 white tail-feathers, with a broad band of black; bluish-black 

 face, throat, and upper breast ; white belly and axillaries ; fawn- 

 coloured tail-coverts. Length. — Twelve inches. 



