56 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



the farm return to the same field, or, should the 

 crop be unsuitable, to those immediately adjoining ; 

 those of the wilds revisit the wilds. Without 

 implying any difference in structure, it might be 

 legitimate to draw a distinction between field, and 

 moorland lapwings. 



The sitting bird rises, noiselessly, and flits away 

 like a shadow, while the male remains silent, and 

 invisible, both thus displaying greater wisdom than 

 the species get credit for. An imaginary lapwing, 

 of the Sandford and Merton breed, would have 

 screamed and hung his wing, hence ' lapwing,' by 

 this transparent ruse attracting attention to the 

 nest, whose site it is his interest to conceal. The 

 greater the danger, the more the fuss, and the noise 

 he should make. 



Various species, from the mire snipe to the black- 

 bird, hang the wing to draw attention to them- 

 selves ; but wiser than they, the lapwing makes all 

 the fuss when the intruder is farthest from the 

 nest, relapsing into silence when he approaches near. 

 Six heavy birds flap and circle, with outstretched 

 necks, and level flight. Three 'males are black and 

 white, and three females sober coloured, and all are 

 eiders. There is no other duck with male and 

 female shaded thus, except perhaps the smaller 



