CHAP. vi.J THE LAPWING. 317 



for ? " " They 're on purpose to come to visit you with." 

 " What are your long thin legs made for ? " " They 're 

 meant to walk into the water after you with." " What 

 are your great round eyes for?" "They're made to 

 look close after you with." "What is your sharp long 

 beak made for ? " " 'Tis sharp to catch and swallow 

 you with." 



Not all of this family of birds are thus destructive 

 to creatures that we can much sympathize with. The 

 Lapwing forms a most useful and engaging garden pet, 

 by clearing off great numbers of slugs, grubs, and 

 insects ; but its history is almost sure to be tragically 

 ended by its falling a victim to the nocturnal prowlings 

 of cats. Pinion it, feed it well, and give it a little re- 

 tiring place in which to hide itself, and it will be happy 

 as long as its life is spared. Its diet consists of worms 

 in the first place, second to which comes chopped meat, 

 and even bread and milk. It eats a large worm in 

 clever style ; taking it firmly by one end, probably the 

 head, and working it down smoothly and gradually, 

 exactly as a Neapolitan is said (for we saw no such per- 

 formance at Naples) to take in a yard or two of Macca- 

 roni, without dividing its continuity with his teeth. It 

 has also a curious habit of forming a small beaten path, 

 we may guess how wide would be the road trodden 

 smooth by a Lapwing's feet to and from its night- 

 box and other favourite spots. It would be of great 

 service kept in numbers in the gardens of the metro- 

 politan squares, by eating the grubs of the destructive 

 daddy-long-legs, and would save many and many a rod 

 of turf from having to be relaid ; but in such a spot it 

 would require an army of night and day protectors to 

 save it from its feline enemies. London cats are a 



