PLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS. 85 



This, in winter, consists chiefly of worms, grubs, 

 molluscs, crustaceans, and other small marine 

 creatures ; in summer, seeds, shoots of herbage, and 

 various ground fruits and berries are added. The 

 Lapwing in its movements on the ground is light 

 and elegant, running and walking well, standing 

 high upon its legs, but it seldom seems to wade, 

 and never, so far as I know, attempts to swim under 

 any normal circumstances. Great numbers of 

 Lapwings are killed for the table, but the flesh 

 cannot be compared with that of the Golden Plover, 

 being not only dark in appearance, but unpleasant 

 in taste, especially after the birds have resided long 

 in littoral haunts. 



The Lapwing at the approach of spring retires 

 inland to breed, visiting for the purpose moors, 

 rough lands, water meadows, pastures, and grain 

 fields. The nesting habits of this species are 

 certainly better known than those of any other 

 member of the Plover tribe, at least, as far as 

 British birds are concerned. Every person at all 

 familiar with the common objects of the country, 

 knows the nest of the Lapwing, and must time 

 and again have been amused with the bird's erratic 

 behaviour, as its breeding grounds are invaded by 

 human intruders. The nest is always made upon 

 the ground, generally in a hollow of some kind, 

 often in the footprints of cattle and horses. Some- 

 times it is cunningly hidden beneath a tuft of 

 rushes or hassock of sedge and grass ; whilst the 



