PLUVIALINJE. VANELLUS. 



55 



thelium ; intestine of moderate length and width ; cceca mo- 

 derate, cylindrical. Nostrils small, linear, pervious, sub- 

 basal. Eyes large and full, eyelids densely feathered. Aper- 

 ture of ear large, roundish. Legs of moderate length or 

 very long, slender ; tibia bare for about a fourth ; tarsus 

 laterally reticulated, anteriorly scutellate ; toes short, slen- 

 der, four, the hind toe extremely small, the second a little 

 shorter than the fourth, which is connected with the third 

 by a basal web ; all marginate, and covered above with nu- 

 merous narrow scutella ; claws short, arched, compressed, 

 slender, obtuse. Plumage ordinary, rather blended ; wings 

 long, of moderate breadth, rounded, of twenty-five quills ; 

 the third primary longest, the first and seventh nearly equal ; 

 outer secondaries short, inner tapering and very elongated ; 

 tail broadish, rounded, or even, the middle feathers not acu- 

 minate. 



The Lapwings are most closely allied to the Plovers, from 

 which they have been separated only by persons who have 

 considered the insignificant character of the presence of a 

 small hind toe as of more importance than the general agree- 

 ment of the skeleton, bill, and digestive organs. They feed 

 on insects, Crustacea, mollusca, worms, and sometimes seeds ; 

 run with great celerity, fly with rapidity, and emit a mel- 

 low, sometimes modulated, cry. The nest is a slight hollow 

 in the ground ; the eggs four, pyriform, extremely large, 

 and spotted. The young, covered with down, run immediately 

 after birth, and conceal themselves by crouching. Only 

 one species occurs in Britain. 



173. VANELLUS CRISTATUS. GREEN CRESTED LAPWING. 



A recurved occipital crest of linear feathers ; tipper parts 

 green, lower white, fore part of neck black, tail white, with 

 a broad black band. The female differs only in having the crest 

 less elongated, the head and fore-neck somewhat lighter, and 

 the hind-neck greenish-grey. Albino individuals, of a pure 

 white or cream colour, are extremely rare. The young when 

 fledged have the colours nearly the same as in the adult, but 

 most of the feathers on the upper parts are terminally mar- 

 gined with light red, 



Male, 13, 29, 9^, 1, 1ft, 1 T 2 5 , T V Female, 12J, 28. 



