PLOVERS' EGGS. 45 



Plovers' Eggs are the produce of the Lapwing or 

 Peewit, a species of Plover about the size of a Pigeon, 

 which is found more or less commonly in every country 

 district from one end of the British Islands to the other. 

 By choice this bird loves to frequent the breezy uplands, 

 the wild pastures on the borders of the moors, and 

 commons which are covered with rushes, heath, and 

 other coarse vegetation. During winter these birds 

 congregate in large flocks on the low-lying coasts, and 

 wet swampy grounds near the sea. They are constantly 

 changing their ground at this season ; and a flock of these 

 birds flying across country is one of the surest signs of 

 an approaching storm. Numbers of Peewits are shot 

 every season for food, but their flesh is much inferior to 

 that of the Golden Plover, being dark in colour and 

 often fishy in flavour. 



At the first sign of spring these vast flocks of Lapwings 

 disperse, and the birds retire to their usual summer 

 haunts on the inland pastures and the hills. Although 

 gregarious at all seasons, the Lapwing does not breed in 

 colonies if it did so its eggs would probably be much 

 cheaper, as they would be more easily gathered. The 

 nests are scattered here and there up and down a wide 

 extent of ground, and are only found after a careful and 

 systematic search. A site for the nest is often selected 

 behind a little tuft of herbage, or under a small bush ; 

 but very frequently the most exposed situations are 



