364 MISCELLANEA. 



however, induced to think by their behaviour and their not dispers- 

 ing, that their nesting operations were begun. The field, the 

 lower part of which was in rigs, was regularly c[uartered, and 

 carefully searched over, rig by rig, for a long time, with the 

 result that only numerous false nests, or slight depressions trod- 

 den down into the ground by the birds, were seen. "With some 

 reluctance, after our long and unsuccessful search, we quitted 

 the field about twelve o'clock, and afterwards as carefully 

 searched the nearest part of an adjoining field, but without 

 success, for we did not find a single egg all day. Out of the 

 sunshine, the air was bitterly cold, and though there were birds 

 in great numbers, no eggs were to be found on the Saturday. 



On the Monday following (Easter Monday), after a long moor- 

 land walk, we were returning homewards by the same small 

 field, but approaching it in a different direction, and along a 

 road by which we were concealed from view, and could not be 

 seen till we were close to it. On looking cautiously over the 

 stone wall to see if the birds were still there, we saw several 

 Peewits rise from the ground in the peculiar manner they assume 

 when rising from their nest. Proceeding over the wall directly 

 to the spot where the bird nearest had risen from the ground, 

 we came upon a nest with four eggs, and at short distances off 

 . we found two others, each with two eggs. In the adjoining 

 field, which we had searched also on the previous Saturday, we 

 found another nest with four eggs, and not far off, on an adjoin- 

 ing rig, another nest with two eggs. That is, in about twenty 

 minutes on the Monday at noon we found altogether fourteen 

 eggs on the same ground which, on the previous Saturday, we 

 had searched for about an hour and a half without finding a 

 single egg. As we had on the Saturday examined the ground 

 with much care, and were certain that we had not overlooked 

 any eggs on that day, the conclusion was forced on us that the 

 nest with four eggs, as well as the others, must have been laid 

 within the forty-eight hours, that is, between twelve o'clock on 

 • Saturday and the same hour on Easter Monday, if not in even a 

 shorter time. 



As further evidence that Peewits lay their eggs quickly and 



