108 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



kindly allowed me to examine the bird, says that it was very wild, and 

 that he had some trouble to get within shot of it. As the Ruddy Sheld- 

 drake is frequently kept on ornamental waters, suspicion not un- 

 naturally attaches to most of the birds shot in this country. In view, 

 however, of the wariness of the Ditton example, and the fact that it 

 was obtained in 1892 — a year memorable for the incursion of this 

 species into Britain and Western Europe — there can be little doubt 

 that it was really a wild bird ; and the occurrence is perhaps of- 

 sufficient interest to warrant this belated notice. — Charles Oldham 

 (Knutsford). 



Peculiar Nests and Nesting-Sites of the Lapwing (Vanellus 

 vulgaris). — Nest 1. — One day, when photographing Redshanks' eggs, 

 I came across a very unusual Lapwing's nest, containing three eggs, 

 placed on a slight eminence two or three inches high, situated in very 

 marshy ground, the water reaching up to our ankles for several yards 

 around. The nest was well built of dry grass, with quite a high 

 foundation on the little mound ; from its sides extended at intervals 

 several stalks of grass, plaited together, reaching to the ground, and 

 evidently acting as supports to the edge, so as to keep the eggs dry. 

 My friend Mr. John Stares (who was with me) remarked that when in 

 Spain he was struck by the fact that in dry places the Black-winged 

 Stilt made a rude apology for a nest, but in damp situations built a 

 much more solid and elaborate structure. The dried grass composing 

 the Lapwing's nest contrasted strongly in colour with the bright green 

 grass growing around. Some years ago I read that, in the ' Trans- 

 actions of the North Staffordshire Field Club,' two somewhat similar 

 nests were reported, ten inches high, composed of dry stems of water- 

 plants, none thicker than a goose-quill ; but it was not mentioned if 

 they were placed on wet ground. 



Nest 2. — A Lapwing's nest in a field of peas, completely concealed 

 by the crop. The eggs (four in number) had been laid, not when the 

 field was bare, but after the peas had grown some height, and formed 

 quite an arch over the nest ; this I have never seen before. The hen 

 began to sit, and on the first and subsequent occasions, when I ap- 

 proached, flew direct from the eggs, without any preliminary running, 

 the thick growth around evidently preventing her seeing me till quite 

 close. 



Nest 3. — On a few occasions I have found a Lapwing's nest which 

 contained a stone in the centre, the eggs lying around it, not in their 

 normal position, viz. pointed ends turned downwards and inwards, but 

 sideways, the pointed end of one to the broad end of the next. Of 



