APRIL, 



BIRD NESTING. 



By W. B. Tegetmeyer. 



II.— MOOR BIRDS. 



Among the larger birds that nest on the moors the common Pee- 

 wit, or Lapwing, as it is also termed, is at once the most abundant 

 and the most familiar. At the present season its eggs, col- 

 lected in vast numbers, not only in England but from the adjacent 

 parts of the Continent, abound in the poulterers' shops, where, 

 after having been hard boiled, they are sold at from 35. to 105. a 

 dozen, according to the abundance of the supply. In the 

 autumn, when the old birds have collected in large flocks 

 after the breeding season is over, they are shot by the punt 

 gunners in thousands and hawked about the streets by the 

 itinerant vendors. 



The nest of the Lapwing is to be found in varied localities. 

 It prefers swampy places, commons, or heaths, and breeds in 

 rough pastures, frequently selecting some artificial hollow such 

 -as the footprint of a horse or cow for its nest. This is 

 scantily lined with a few bents or a little dried grass, on which 

 the eggs are laid. These are usually four in number. On the 

 nest being approached the old bird moves quietly away, and 



