May 



I followed a path inning along the top of a steep 

 embankment, some ten feet or so in height. Upon 

 the left of the embankment, but separated by a small 

 ditch at the foot of it, was a wide stretch of marshy- 

 ground, where lapwings nest and cry day and night. 

 Upon the right hand the embankment declined 

 steeply to a small brook, which is similarly embanked 

 on the farther side. I was surprised to see a lapwing 

 hovering excitedly above a thick bed of dock and 

 nettles, which clothed the stream side of the em- 

 bankment along which I was proceeding, and even 

 more so to hear a tiny squeak respond regularly to 

 her cries. This led me to discover a chick lapwing, 

 sitting among the dock-plants, halfway down to the 

 stream. This chick was so young as to be unable to 

 use its legs, which, in the case of the lapwing, are 

 so soon put to use that the chick is generally stated 

 to run from the shell. How, then, did the chick 

 come there ? If hatched on the marsh, it had passed 

 the enclosing ditch, mounted a ten-foot embankment, 

 and descended five feet on the stream side. It could 

 not have been hatched beyond the embankment on 

 the farther side of the stream, because in that case it 

 would have had to cross the stream itself. It was 

 just as impossible that it could have been hatched 

 where it was, for no lapwing would ever place its 

 eggs in such a position. Had the old bird carried it 

 there ? for they are much disturbed by men and 

 dogs on the marsh. I took the chick and placed it 

 a few feet on the marsh, remaining half a dozen 



161 M 



