THE LAPWING. 549 



Field -characters. — Identified on ground by metallic green upper- 

 parts, long pointed crest, white under-parts and fawn tail-coverts. 

 In flight broad, rounded, flapping wings and black and wh'te 

 coloration are just as unmistakable, whether birds are tossing and 

 tumbling in fantastic aerial love-dance, flying low over some fallow 

 or passing, at a considerable height, from one feeding ground to 

 another. In nesting-season pairs are scattered widely over moors, 

 marshes, heaths and cultivated ground, both pasture and arable, 

 but from autumn to spring higher ground is deserted, and the birds 

 congregate, often in large flocks, on lowlands and coast. Usual note 

 then is a long-drawn " p-e-e-e-t." Love-song, associated with the 

 spring tumbling, is expressed by Brock as " whey-willuchooee- 

 willuch-willuch — cooee." Alarm-note when young in danger a 

 rasping " pee-ee-wit." 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts meadows, commons, arable land, 

 marshes and outskirts of moors. Nest. — A muddied hollow in 

 ground, lined grass stalks, etc., on slightly raised site. Eggs. — 

 Normally 4, occasionally 5, but frequently smaller numbers in 

 second or third layings, thickly blotched or spotted with deep black 

 on clay or stone-coloured ground. Erythristic type rarely occurs ; 

 also eggs with bluish-grey ground and few fine spots. Average of 

 100 British eggs, 47x33.7. Max.: 58x32.5 and 47.4x37.2. 

 Min. : 42.3x33.5 and 44.7x31.2 mm. Breeding-season. — Usually 

 begins end March ; most eggs first half April. Incubation. — 

 Apparently chiefly by hen, but Farren states that males also take 

 part. Period 25-28 days. Single brooded, but will lay again 

 several times when robbed. 



Food. — Earthworms, mollusca (slugs, including Arion and Agrio- 

 limax, snails ; also Tellina, Bythinia, Physa, etc.), insects, including 

 coleoptera (Otiorhynchus, Carabidce, Ocypus, Aphodius, Agriotes, 

 and various Geodephaga, etc.), diptera (larvse of Tipula, etc.), 

 lepidoptera (larvae of Noctuce), orthoptera. Also vegetable matter 

 such as seeds of Ranunculus, Spergula, Polygonum, etc. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Summer resident, passage -migrant 

 and winter- visitor. Generally distributed. In autumn large 

 numbers arrive from Continent and many of our home-bred birds 

 move to coast, while a proportion emigrate southwards, especially 

 from northern districts. In extreme north Scotland known chiefly 

 as summer -resident. 



Migrations. — Summer -residents are migratory to a considerable 

 extent, especially those in northern counties, numbers and distance 

 covered perhaps dependent on weather conditions, but many 

 migrate to Ireland and others to S.W. Europe and N. Africa. Breed- 

 ing-haunts begin to be deserted in July and movement to coasts 

 and estuaries and thence southwards and overseas is gradual and 

 lasts till mid-Nov. Return late Feb. to mid-April. Arrival and 

 departure of passage -migrants and winter-visitors, late Sept. to early 



