PLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS. 85 
This, in winter, consists chiefly of worms, grubs, 
molluscs, crustaceans, and other small marine 
creatures ; in summer, seeds, shoots of herbage, and 
various ground fruits and berries are added. The 
Lapwing in its movements on the ground is light 
and elegant, running and walking well, standing 
high upon its legs, but it seldom seems to wade, 
and never, so far as I know, attempts to swim under 
any normal circumstances. Great numbers of 
Lapwings are killed for the table, but the flesh 
cannot be compared with that of the Golden Plover, 
being not only dark in appearance, but unpleasant 
in taste, especially after the birds have resided long 
in littoral haunts. 
The Lapwing at the approach of spring retires 
inland to breed, visiting for the purpose moors, 
rough lands, water meadows, pastures, and grain 
fields. The nesting habits of this species are 
certainly better known than those of any other 
member of the Plover tribe, at least, as far as 
British birds are concerned. Every person at all 
familiar with the common objects of the country, 
knows the nest of the Lapwing, and must time 
and again have been amused with the bird’s erratic 
behaviour, as its breeding grounds are invaded by 
human intruders. The nest is always made upon 
the ground, generally in a hollow of some kind, 
often in the footprints of cattle and horses. Some- 
times it is cunningly hidden beneath a tuft of 
rushes or hassock of sedge and grass; whilst the 
