110 WILD BIED PROTECTION 



and eggs. The remedy lies with county councils. Some 

 of these have proposed the prohibition of taking the 

 eggs. For the reasons given above, I should regret this. 

 If every egg laid hi the British Isles in March and the 

 first fortnight in April were taken, plenty more would 

 be laid in second hatches to replenish the race, and these 

 would be protected by the growth of grass and young 

 corn. But I do advocate legislative protection to the 

 parent birds throughout the year, and the act of 1894 

 gives county councils power to obtain an order to this 

 effect from the Secretary of State. 



What has saved the lapwing from extinction in these 

 islands hitherto is its migratory habit. Although in 

 most parts of Britain lapwings may be seen at all times 

 of the year, the birds that are with us in winter were 

 bred far north in Scandinavia, while those reared in 

 our own fields pass far south in winter. The lapwing is 

 the only bird known to me of which the exact northern 

 limit of the winter habitat may be traced in Great 

 Britain. It may be seen in the Moray Firth throughout 

 the year, but is not known in winter to the north of 

 the Helmsdale watershed. While, therefore, it is classed 

 as one of the resident species, it is, in fact, as truly 

 migratory as any other birds. The cuckoo and the 

 swallow pass southwards out of our ken in winter ; but 

 although the whole body of lapwings moves southward 

 also, the northern fringe of it lies across the south of 

 the county of Caithness. Spring returns, the homing 

 instinct asserts itself, and each bird presses to the 

 northernmost limit of its annual migration to rear its 



