126 SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR BIRD STUDY. 



with white longitudinal stripe anteriorly, primary quills 

 with narrow white outer edge. Tail greyish, black at tip 

 with broad white band below. 



This bird occurs in large numbers over wooded and 

 cultivated regions, and the numbers are largely augmented 

 by visitors from the Continent in autumn. They feed 

 almost exclusively upon grain, peas, grasses, clover, turnip 

 leaves, beech mast, and acorns, causing each year very con- 

 siderable loss to agriculturists. Notwithstanding frequent 

 crusades against them, their numbers do not decrease. The 

 nest is placed in tall trees, and consists of coarse twigs, 

 loosely put together. The eggs are two, 1-| inches long, 

 pure white and glossy. " The male in spring struts and 

 cooes, rises in the air, strikes the points of his wings 

 against each other, descends, rises again, and performs 

 various gambols." The note, which may be heard echoing 

 through the stillness of the woods, resembles the syllables 

 coo-roo-coo-coo. 



LAPWING (E.). This bird is about 12 inches long. 

 The top of the head is blackish green with a fairly long 

 crest of the same colour. The back and upper parts of the 

 wings have metallic green reflections on the upper fore 

 parts of wings. The tail has three broad bars, chestnut at 

 base, white next, and purplish black at tip, except the 

 outer feathers, which are white. Outer wing quills like 

 tip of tail, outermost with whitish patches near the tip. 

 Under parts of neck whitish, chest greenish black, breast 

 white. 



A common bird in Scotland and Ireland, less so in 

 England. It nests on the ground in fields in any natural 

 hollow in turf, simply adding some grass, etc. The eggs 

 are four, sometimes five in number, about 1| inches long, 

 olive greenish, with dark brown blotches. April and May 

 are the usual incubation periods. " The female runs 

 silently from her nest when approached, and it is the male 

 which indulges in such frantic swoops and twirls, accom- 

 panied by noisy cries ; though when the young are hatched, 

 both parents practise every artifice to allure man or dog 

 from their brood. The ' false ' nests often found are 



