slowly, now quickens, reaching its climax as the bird, raising 

 its wings above its back for an instant, finally aUghts on the 

 ground. But he has yet other wiles, which are not used in 

 mid-air. Approaching his mate with his head erect and body 

 drawn up to its full height, he raises his wings for an instant 

 high above his head : then allowing them gradually to droop, 

 he vibrates them, at the same time rapidly moving his legs 

 like a soldier " marking time." 



The curlew seems to prefer the evening for his best efforts. 

 Rising from the ground with rapid wing-beats, he will 

 " check " suddenly when near the summit of his ascent ; so 

 suddenly as almost to throw himself backwards. Then, 

 recovering, he wiU hang poised, kestrel-like, in mid-air, and 

 pour forth a joyous thrilling, or jodelling, song. Rising and 

 falling, on quivering wings, or sweeping round in great circles, 

 and hovering again, he will remain for sc«ne considerable time 

 pouring forth this joyful ripple of song. 



The courtship flight of the lapwing is even, if possible, 

 more interesting. Rising from the ground with slow heavy 

 flaps of his broad wings — ^which, it is to be noted, present a 

 remarkable difference from those of the female, in that the 

 primaries are much longer, so as to give this portion of 

 the extended wing a conspicuously broader appearance — ^as 

 though he had difficulty in getting under way, he speedily 

 dissipates this impression by a sudden upward rush, an 



58 



