CHARADRID^. 337 



The eggs are said to be " oil-green, spotted irre- 

 gularly with different shades of umber-brown, the 

 spots crowded and confluent round the obtuse 

 end."* 



PEEWIT, Vanellus cristatus. The Peewit, "Lap- 

 wing" or " Crested Plover," as it is called, is at 

 times very common throughout the county, making 

 its appearance in autumn, winter and spring; in 

 some parts, indeed, such as the Brendon and Ex- 

 moor Hills, it remains to breed, but not in very 

 great numbers. Flocks of Peewits spread over the 

 cultivated lands in the Vale when driven from the 

 hills by frost or snow : a very hard frost, however, 

 drives them even from these parts to the sea-shore, 

 or some unfrozen part, for food. In open weather 

 they visit the ploughed fields and young wheat in 

 search of food. It is a very pretty sight to watch a 

 flock of these birds, if one can stalk up near enough 

 to have a good view of them, as their motions on the 

 ground are very elegant, and they have a habit of 

 constantly elevating their crests when running from 

 place to place, which they do very quickly. 



The Peewit seems more to agree with the Golden 

 than with the Grey Plover in its choice of a feeding- 

 ground, seldom seeking the actual mud on the coast, 

 unless driven from its more favourite haunts by hard 

 frost. 



* Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 297. 



3 Q 



