THE LAPWINGS. 173 



Nest. Generally placed in a natural hole or depression, 

 such as the footprint of a horse or cow, but sometimes a 

 tussock of grass may be selected. Of actual nest there is 

 scarcely any, but a slight lining of grass or heather is some- 

 times made. 



Eggs. Usually four, but on very rare occasions five have 

 been found. Mr. Seebohm gives one instance of a clutch of 

 five having been obtained by the Rev. H. A. Macpherson ; 

 while, as will be seen below, Mr. Robert Read records a similar 

 occurrence. The latter gentleman writes : "Although the eggs 

 of this bird are taken in such enormous numbers, I have never 

 but once known five eggs to be taken in one nest. This was 

 in Northumberland. I have found the Peewit breeding quite 

 close to London, at Ealing. Near Glasgow I obtained a set of 

 three eggs with the heavy markings at the small end, an unusual 

 variety of this bird's eggs. In autumn, quite close to Glasgow, I 

 have counted about 8,000 Peesweeps in one field." The ground- 

 colour of the Lapwing's egg varies extremely, from dusky-olive 

 or greenish-brown to dark clay-colour or clay-brown, with black 

 blotches and smaller spots distributed over the egg, the larger 

 blotches congregating near the larger end. The underlying 

 spots are of a dark purplish-grey. Axis, 1-75-1-9 inch; diam., 



THE CRESTLESS LAPWINGS. GENUS CH^ETUSIA. 

 ici) Bp. Iconogr. Faun. Ital. Ucc. Introd. p. 17 (1841). 

 Type, C. gregaria (Pall.). 



This genus, of which only one species is known, is in every 

 respect a true Lapwing, but differs from the genus Vanellus in 

 having no crest. 



I. THE SOCIABLE LAPWING. CHJETUSIA GREGARIA. 



Charadrius gregarius, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs, i. p. 456 



Chettusia gregaria, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 527, pi. 528 (1875); 



Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 174 (1896). 

 Vandlus gregarius, Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 537 (1889). 



Adult Male. General colour above pale ashy-brown, the centre 

 of the lower back rather darker ; sides of the lower back, lower 



