THE LAPWING 379 



extra scrapes of other species play a similar part in their spring 

 activities as do those of the lapwing. It is to careful observation of 

 such habits that we must look for a better understanding of the origin 

 of nest construction and sexual display. 



However important the scrape forming and courting actions 

 which take place on the ground may be, from a spectacular point of 

 view they pale before the more obvious and beautiful aerial evolutions 

 which are so charming a feature of the lapwing's spring activities. 

 These evolutions may take the form of a spring or nuptial flight of 

 fairly well denned character, aerial contests between rival males, and 

 also a flight which may be a phase of the latter, but the behaviour of 

 the birds gives no indication of rivalry, rather of play and the joy of 

 flying together. Were it not that it may be witnessed long before 

 pairing is accomplished, I should be tempted to regard the last- 

 mentioned flight as a marriage flight, in which male and female take 

 part. Yery frequently these flights are participated in by three, 

 sometimes more, birds, but three are commonly seen. 1 Skimming over 

 the ground, the birds rise and fall, tilt from side to side in a manner 

 somewhat similar to, but not so elaborate as, the wonderful evolutions 

 performed by the male in its spring flight. But there appears to be 

 no rivalry or jealousy, for although two may be flying side by side with 

 a third a little behind, they may close up and change places quite 

 indiscriminately and without discord. They follow and repeat each 

 other's actions as in the winter flights, so that the true solution 

 doubtlessly is that it marks a transitional stage from the social con- 

 dition of winter, in which the spring fashion of flight is asserting itself. 

 Yery similar conditions mark the early spring habits of other species, 

 which partly abandon the gregarious state at pairing time. The red- 

 shank, snipe, and ringed-plover provide examples. 



The spring-flight proper runs a more regular course, especially 

 when the performer is uninterrupted by other birds. He rises from 

 the ground with slow heavy flaps of his broad wings, as though he has 



1 See also Bird Watching, p. 82. 

 VOL. III. 3 C 



