348 HISTORY OF 



soon as a stranger intrudes upon these retreats, 

 the whole colony is up, and a hundred different 

 screams are heard from every quarter. The arts 

 of the lapwing to allure men or dogs from her 

 nest are perfectly amusing. When she perceives 

 the enemy approaching, she never waits till they 

 arrive at her nest, but boldly runs to meet them : 

 when she has come as near them as she dares to 

 venture, she then rises with a loud screaming be- 

 fore them, seeming as if she was just flushed from 

 hatching, while she is then probably a hundred 

 yards from the nest. Thus she flies, with great 

 clamour and anxiety, whining and screaming 

 round the invaders, striking at them with her 

 wings, and fluttering as if she were wounded. To 

 add to the deceit, she appears still more clamorous 

 as more remote from the nest. If she sees them 

 very near, she then seems to be quite unconcern- 

 ed, and her cries cease, while her terrors are 

 really augmenting. If there be dogs, she flies 

 heavily at a little distance before them, as if 

 maimed ; still vociferous and still bold, but never 

 offering to move towards the quarter where her 

 treasure is deposited. The dog pursues in hopes 

 every moment of seizing the parent, and by this 

 means actually loses the young ; for the cunning 

 bird, when she has thus drawn him off to a proper 

 distance, then puts forth her powers, and leaves 

 her astonished pursuer to gaze at the rapidity of 

 her flight. The eggs of all these birds are highly 

 valued by the luxurious ; they are boiled hard, 

 and thus served up without any further prepara- 

 tion. 



