Sketches from Nature. 307 



this is probably why the price is kept up. The 

 majority of the eggs are gathered by shepherds, 

 keepers, and labourers, who are assisted by 

 women and children ; but the latter find com- 

 paratively few nests. 



Not unfrequently the early clutches are covered 

 with snow, and more than one set of nests have 

 been known to have perished in this way. But 

 the species is a hardy one, and the birds persevere 

 until they are successful in rearing one nest of 

 young. Hence there is no ground for the appre- 

 hension expressed in some quarters lest so useful 

 a bird (as this is stated to be to agriculturists) 

 should be destroyed by taking a few of the first 

 layings. That the peewit evinces considerable 

 attachment to its nest and eggs the following 

 example will show. On an evening about the 

 middle of May a gentleman found a lapwing's 

 nest containing four eggs. Three of these were 

 completely covered with a cake of dry dung, 

 which had accidentally been kicked over the nest 

 by the cattle and which the birds were unable to 

 remove. The eggs were chilled, but the gentle- 

 man took them home, placed them in an oven 

 over-night, and at six next morning replaced 

 them in the nest. The old birds were hovering 

 about, and the hen went immediately to the 

 nest. Three of the eggs hatched the following 

 morning, the remaining one having been acci- 

 dentally cracked. 



X 2 



