540 LAPWING. 



in Norway and Southern Sweden in summer. The majority of the 

 eggs sent to this country are from the Netherlands and North 

 Germany, where they are systematically gathered up to a date which 

 is fixed by law. In suitable localities it nests throughout the Conti- 

 nent down to the extreme south of Spain, as it does, sparingly, in 

 North Africa and Egypt ; while its migrations extend westward to 

 the Azores, and a wanderer has recently been recorded by Col. 

 Feilden from Barbadoes. It is found across Asia as far north as 

 lat. 65° (Bogdanow) ; its southern breeding-limits being on the humid 

 plains of Mongolia, and on the Tian-shan range up to an elevation 

 of about 11,000 ft.; in winter it is also met with in the Indian 

 region down to about 25° N. lat. 



The eggs,- normally 4 but occasionally 5 in number, vary in 

 ground-colour from olive-green to stone-buff, grey, or even pale blue, 

 the blotches being blackish-brown: average measurements i'6 by 

 I "3 in. They are seldom to be met with before the latter part 

 of March, April being the usual month for laying, but they may be 

 found fresh through May and into June. Almost any depression in 

 turf, fallow-land, dried mud or shingle, suffices for their reception, a 

 few bents &;c. placed crosswise being added, usually during the 

 progress of incubation. The female runs silently from her nest 

 when approached, and it is the male which indulges in such frantic 

 swoops and twirls, accompanied by .noisy cries; though when the 

 young are hatched both parents practise every artifice to allure man 

 or dcg from their brood. The ' false ' nests often found are scraped 

 out by the cock in turning round, when showing off to the 

 female. On the approach of winter large flocks are formed, which 

 break up in the following spring ; they fly in lines with great regu- 

 larity. The food consists of worms, slugs and insects ; and, though 

 inferior to the Golden Plover, the Lapwing is not to be despised 

 for the table. 



The adult male in breeding-plumage has the crown and the long 

 movable crest greenish-black ; sides of the neck whitish ; upper 

 parts metallic-green, glossed with purple and copper-colour ; quills 

 chiefly black, the tips of the three outer pairs greyish ; tail-feathers 

 white, with a broad subterminal band of black, except on the outer 

 pair ; face, throat and upper breast bluish-black ; belly and axillaries 

 white; upper and under tail-coverts fawn-colour. Length 12 in.; 

 wing 9 in. The mature female does not differ in plumage, but 

 younger hens show some white on the chin ; in winter that part as 

 well as the throat are white in both sexes. The young bird has a 

 shorter crest and the dorsal feathers are edged with greyish-buff. 



