132 ORALLY. 



gradually later and later towards the sea, till within flood- 

 mark : they pair in winter after the habit of many of the 

 fishes of almost all the fishes, indeed, which bury their spawn 

 in the banks. The birds thus migrate upon their food ; and 

 therefore they are at all times of the year in good condition. 



Anecdotes of the lapwing may be met with in great 

 abundance in the writings of authors and the conglomerates 

 of compilers ; and any one who chooses to walk observingly 

 across a place which the birds inhabit, may easily add to 

 the number. Their stratagems, in enticing any animal that 

 they dread away from their nests or young, are often amus- 

 ing. They will strike with the bend of the wing so near to 

 one's head, that the stroke may be distinctly heard, and they 

 actually hit crows and other prowling birds, and even dogs. 

 I was once crossing a lonely moor, half heath, half quagmire, 

 upon which lapwings were more than usually abundant ; 

 they were also more than usually clamorous ; for a country- 

 man was crossing it a little before me, accompanied by one 

 of the yelping curs of which country people are in some 

 places too fond. The cur seemed very resolute in lapwing- 

 hunting, and the birds as willing to give him sport. They 

 limped before him, they flew low in twitches, and came close 

 upon him, by all sorts of motions, both on foot and on the 

 wing, and the dog was fatiguing itself by alternately making 

 hopeless leaps at the flyers, and hopeless starts after the run- 

 ners. At last, one came twitching down ; and, whether with 

 the bend of the wing or the bill I cannot say, hit him an 

 audible bang on the ear, which sent him yelping with his tail 

 between his legs to his master, and he hunted lapwings no 

 more while in my sight. 



It has been said that the lapwings beat the ground with 

 their feet to bring out the worms, and the process has been 

 described with most circumstantial minuteness. The bird, it 

 seems, removes the casting thrown up by the worm, and then 



