Birds. 9713 



short distance and inspect them. They are often seen, in company 

 with rooks, following close to the heels of the ploughmen, to pick up 

 the worms and giubs turned up with the fresh soil. Belbre rain and 

 stormy weather they become much shyer, remaining for hours together 

 on the wing, wheeling and screaming over the marshes, often ascending 

 to a great height and as rapidly descending again and performing a 

 variety of antics; often at such times leaving the marsh district and 

 going far inland to the wolds. This wild play of the gulls is always a 

 certain indication of rain, and I have frequently been able, from this 

 sign alone, positively to predict a change in the weather ; they are cer- 

 tainly most unfailing weather prophets. After July they do not resort 

 much to the marshes, preferring the Humber and its muddy shores. 

 Hundreds may now be daily seen on the flats. They will not leave the 

 neighbourhood till late in the autumn, at which time the greater part 

 move southward, some few only remaining with us throughout the 

 winter. 



Lapwing. — June 25. Many lapwings remain in the open marsh 

 districts throughout the year, in the autumn receiving immense addi- 

 tions to their numbers, and except in severe frosts continuing in the 

 neighbourhood during the winter months. They are eminently gre- 

 garious, and are seldom seen in pairs, except during the six or eight 

 weeks of the breeding season. When the young birds can fly several 

 families will unite together, forming small flocks containing twenty or 

 thirty birds. By the middle of July these smaller flocks pack together, 

 forming one great assembly, containing hundreds and often thousands 

 of lapwings. On the 13lh of July 1 put up one such flock from a piece 

 of rough fallow land containing many hundreds of them, probably the 

 collected broods of this district. In severe winter weather and towards 

 spring these large flocks break up into subdivisions, and again in the 

 latter season into pairs. Some of the young broods do not, however, 

 get off' before the end of July ; probably in these cases the first nest 

 has been destroyed, as is frequently the case in the cultivated districts, 

 by some of the many processes of agriculture. Wailing the other day 

 under a bank for the chance of a shot at some wood pigeons, I was 

 attracted by the vociferous clamour of a lapwing, evidently extremely 

 desirous for me to change my quarters : from the extreme solicitude of 

 the poor bird I knew the young were not far off", and on looking round 

 saw, almost within arm's length, a young peewit, rather more than half 

 grown, crouched amongst the grass ; on my touching it, it made no 

 effort to escape, merely crouching closer to the ground; taking it in 

 my hand it exhibited no alarm, only following with its bright dark 

 VOL. XXIII. 2 U 



