THE LAPWING. 159 



Curious anecdote. 



The following anecdote, which was communi- 

 cated to Mr. Bewick by the Rev. J. Carlyle, and 

 is here illustrated by an engraving, exhibits 

 the domestic nature of the lapwing; as well as 

 the art with which it conciliates the regard of 

 animals materially differing from itself, and ge- 

 nerally considered as hostile to every species of 

 the feathered tribe. Two lapwings were given 

 to a clergyman, who put them into his garden ; 

 one soon died, but the other continued to pick 

 up such food as the place afforded, till winter de- 

 prived it of its usual supply. Necessity soon 

 compelled it to draw nearer the house; by which 

 it gradually became familiarized to occasional 

 interruptions from the family. At length one of 

 the servants, when she had occasion to go into 

 the back-kitchen with a light, observed that the 

 lapwing always uttered his cry of " pee-zoit" to 

 obtain admittance. He soon grew more fami- 

 liar: as the winter advanced, he approached as 

 far as the kitchen ; but with much caution, as 

 that part of the house was generally occupied by 

 a dog and a cat, whose friendship, however, the 

 lapwing at length conciliated so entirely, that it 

 was his regular custom to resort to the fireside as 

 soon as it grew dark, and spend the evening and 

 night with his two associates, sitting close by 

 them, and partaking of the ' comforts of the 

 warmth. As soon as spring appeared, he discon- 

 tinued his visits to the house, and betook himself 

 to the garden ; but on the approach of winter he 



