556 LAPWING. 
Feeroes, as well as in Northern Europe up to the Arctic circle, and 
it is tolerably plentiful in the south of Norway and Sweden in summer. 
The majority of the eggs sent to this country are from the Nether- 
lands and North Germany, where they are systematically gathered 
up to a date which is fixed by law. In suitable localities the Lap- 
wing nests down to the extreme south of Spain, as well as, sparingly, 
in North Africa and Egypt; while its migrations extend westward 
to the Canaries and Azores. A wanderer was obtained in Barbadoes 
on December 24th 1886 (Feilden), and another has occurred in 
Alaska. Across Asia the species is found breeding from lat. 65° N. 
to the plains of Mongolia, and on the Tian-shan range up to an 
elevation of about 11,000 ft. ; while in winter it is also met with 
in the Indian region down to about lat. 25° N. 
The eggs, normally 4 in number, vary in ground-colour from 
olive-green to stone-buff, grey, or even pale blue, the blotches being 
blackish-brown : measurements 1°6 by 1°3 in. They are seldom to 
be met with before the latter part of March, and April is the usual 
month for laying, but they may be found fresh through May and 
into June. Almost any depression in turf, fallow-land, dried mud 
or shingle, suffices for their reception ; a few bents placed crosswise 
being added, usually during incubation. When approached, the 
female sometimes runs silently from her eggs before taking to the 
wing, and it is the male which indulges in frantic swoops and twirls, 
accompanied by noisy cries ; though when the young are hatched 
both parents practise every artifice to allure man or dog from their 
brood. The ‘false nests’ often found are scraped out by the cock 
in turning round, when showing off to the female. On the approach 
of winter large flocks are formed, which break up in the following 
spring ; the birds flying in lines with great regularity. The food 
consists of worms, slugs and insects. 
The adult male in breeding-plumage has the crown and the long 
erectile crest greenish-black ; sides of the neck whitish ; upper parts 
metallic-green, glossed with purple and bronze ; quills chiefly black, 
the tips of the three outer pairs greyish ; tail-feathers white, with a 
broad subterminal band of black, except on the outer pair; face, 
throat and upper breast bluish-black ; belly and axillaries white ; 
upper and under tail-coverts fawn-colour. Length 12°5 in. ; wing 
8-75 in. The mature female has a slightly shorter crest, and 
younger hens show some white on the chin. In winter the throat 
is white in both sexes. The young bird has a shorter crest and the 
dorsal feathers are edged with greyish-buff. , 
