306 Poachers and Poaching. 



they sink on their sides. The conduct of the 

 male is verv different from that of his mate. If 



j 



a person approach the nest, he flies crying and 

 calling overhead, and tries to lure the intruder 

 from the vicinity. His peculiarly rounded wings 

 beat the air, causing a loud humming sound which 

 in France has given to the lapwing its name 

 of vanneau, a fan. One characteristic of 

 birds of the plover kind is that they lay from 

 three to four eggs ; and this holds good with the 

 lapwing. These are so well known as not to need 

 description ; but there is one peculiarity which 

 may be remarked. The eggs are beautifully 

 pyriform in shape, and when the female leaves 

 the nest deliberately it will be found that the 

 smaller ends of the eggs are together, thereby 

 taking up but little room in the nest. When the 

 young are hatched thev run about immediately, 



Jo J J i 



often with the shell upon their backs. Although 

 they must remain upon the ground for two or 

 three weeks, they are admirably protected by 

 the assimilative colouring of their down, which 

 renders them most difficult to detect. 



It would be interesting to know just when 

 lapwings' eggs became a marketable commodity. 

 Pennant as early as 1776 quotes them at three 

 shillings a dozen ; and thirty years later Daniel 

 states that their price was four shillings. There 

 would appear to be but little organisation in con- 

 nection with the collecting of plovers'" eggs, and 



