286 CHARADRIID^. 



and being saved by bis followers, who were directed to the 

 spot where he lay by the cries of these birds, and their 

 hovering over him. The notice, however, so frequently given 

 by these birds was sometimes productive of very different 

 consequences. Mr. Chatto, in his agreeable Eambles in 

 Northumberland and the Scottish Border, refers to " the 

 persecution to which the Covenanters were exposed in the 

 reign of Charles the Second and his bigoted successor;" 

 and, quoting Dr. Leyden, alludes to the tradition that 

 " they were frequently discovered to their pursuers by the 

 flight and screaming of the Lapwing ; in consequence of 

 which the Lapwing is still regarded as an unlucky bird in 

 the south of Scotland." 



In the autumn they collect in flocks, and from that time 

 till the end of winter are excellent birds for the table. For 

 this purpose they were formerly ' mewed ' (Fosbrooke, Ency. 

 Antiq. ii. p. 1028), and fattened upon liver, as appears by 

 an entry in the Household Book of Squire Kitson, of Hen- 

 grave, Suff'olk — printed in Gage's History of Hengrave, 

 p. 102 : — " 1574, July. For iij livers for the puets and the 

 other mewed fowls vjd." In the Northumberland House- 

 hold Book ' Wypes ' (Scandinavian Wipn) are charged one 

 penny each. It is probable that the ' Egrets ' (French 

 Aigrette, a tuft or crest), to the number of one thousand, 

 stated by Leland to have been served at the often-mentioned 

 feast on the enthronization of Archbishop Nevill, belonged 

 to this species. A French proverb even goes so far as 

 to say — ♦ 



" (Jui n'a mange grive ni vanneau 

 N'a jamais mange bon morceau;" 



but the Lapwing is not equal to the Golden Plover. 



The Peewit is common and resident throughout the British 

 Islands ; only a partial migration southwards being observ- 

 able in severe weather. Owing to enclosure of waste lands, 

 drainage and unrestricted egging, its numbers have consider- 

 ably decreased of late years during the breeding-season in 

 the eastern counties of England ; but immense flocks come 



I 



