80 BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



Peewit seems almost unnecessary, so familiar are they to 

 all. We shall therefore make a brief summary suffice. 

 When the pairs have separated out and taken up their 

 respective stations on the fields or moors the cocks may 

 be observed performing extraordinary tumbling evolutions 

 in the air, uttering special variations of their well-known 

 cry, and producing with their wings in flight a low, 

 resonant humming noise resembling the Snipe's ' bleat,' but 

 not nearly so loud. These manifestations continue to 

 some extent throughout the season. 



Nest-making is not a serious undertaking ; often a 

 natural hollow, such as a deep hoof-mark, will suffice. 

 More usually the hollow is rounded and smoothed, and 

 a slight lining of dry grasses is often added. In the 

 neighbourhood of the real nest several similar but unlined 

 hollows may generally be found. These are popularly 

 termed ' Cock's nests,"* and are formed by the male 

 turning round and round during the time he is ' showing 

 off' to his mate. Eggs may be found by the middle of 

 March, and may be legally taken up till the end of the 

 month. April is, however, the chief month of laying, 

 especially in Scotland. The eggs — grayish or yellowish 

 green, blotched and spotted with various shades of 

 brown — are almost invariably four in number. The 

 percentage of threes, fives, and exceptional sixes, must be 

 very trifling. The eggs are extremely difficult to find, 

 and are usually to be discovered only by mere chance or 

 by veiy systematic searching. The hen rarely betrays the 

 nest, but runs some distance along the ground before 

 rising. In emergencies she will try to distract attention 

 from her charges by the trick of shamming lameness or 

 a broken wing. The cock's solicitude is displayed in 

 frantic and noisy evolutions in the air. 



The nestlings in down are mottled brown above, white 



