306 §=©9Wild Life in a Southern County. 
poughs, all swinging to and fro as the snow-flakes 
came silently floating by, and all chuckling and 
calling to each other. The ruder the blast and the 
more they swung—heads downwards—the merrier 
they seemed, busily picking away at the young buds, 
Some of them remained in the tree more than an hour. 
Peewits or lapwings not only pack in the winter, 
but may almost be said to pass the nesting-time 
together. There are two favourite localities in the 
district, which has been more particularly described, 
much frequented by these birds. One isamong some 
water-meadows, where the grass is long earlier in the 
spring than elsewhere: there the first bennet pushes 
up its green staff—country people always note the 
appearance of the first bennet—and the first cuckoo- 
flower opens. Several nests are made here on the 
ground, in comparatively close contiguity. 
Upon approaching, the old bird flies up, circles 
round, and comes so near as almost to be within reach, 
whistling ‘pee-wit, pee-wit,’ over your head. He 
seems to tumble in the air as if wounded and scarcely 
able to fly; and those who are not aware of his 
intention may be tempted to pursue, thinking to 
catch him. But so soon as you are leaving the nest 
behind he mounts higher, and wheels off to a distant 
corner of the field, uttering an ironical ‘ pee-wit ' as 
he goes. If you neglect his invitation to catch him if 
you can, and search for the nest or stand still, he gets 
greatly excited and comes much closer, and in a few 
minutes is joined by his mate, who also circles round ; 
