274 Cultivation of Waste Land. 



they can lay bare a whole nest with two or three 

 scratches, must afford much more food. Had it been 

 otherwise all the partridges in the neighborhood 

 would have gathered together here ; but there never 

 seemed more than one or two coveys about. 



The peewits had nests year after year in this 

 place, and even when the nesting-time was over a few 

 might often be seen. The land for agricultural pur- 

 poses was almost valueless, there being so little 

 herbage upon which cattle could graze, and no pos- 

 sibility of mowing any ; so in the end gangs of labor- 

 ers were set to work and the ant-hills levelled, and, 

 indeed, bodily removed. Thus this last piece of 

 waste land was brought into use. 



Upon the Downs there is a place haunted by some 

 few peewits. In the colder months they assemble 

 in flocks, and visit the arable land where it is of a 

 poor character, or where there are signs of peat in the 

 soil. By the shores of the lake they may, too, be 

 often seen. I have counted sixty in one flock, and 

 have seen flocks so numerous as to be unable to 

 count them accurately ; that of course was excep- 

 tional, but they are by no means uncommon birds in 

 this district. In others it seems quite a rare thing 

 to see a lapwing. 



They often appear to fly for a length of time 

 together for the mere pleasure of flying. They rise 

 without the slightest cause of alarm, and sail about 

 to and fro over the same field for half an hour, then 

 settle and feed again, and present!}' take wing and 

 .repeat the whirling about overhead. Solitary peewits 

 will do the same thing ; you would imagine the}' 

 were going off at a great pace, instead of which back 



