250 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



time. u "Where they meet with suitable ground/ - ' he says, " they 

 remain some time in the neighbourhood, flying away in a body, 

 and often returning again in a moment, to the great surprise of the 

 beholder, who may happen to have startled them up." This corres- 

 ponds exactly to the account given by the Rev. A. C. Smith of the 

 motions of the specimen mentioned above, which is now in his 

 collection. 



Vanellus Cristatus. " Lapwing/' " Peewit," or " Green Plover/' 

 One of the commonest and prettiest birds of our district. They 

 breed freely in the parish, and all around us, and assemble in large 

 flocks in the neighbourhood during the autumn and winter months. 

 A flight of these birds is very interesting to watch, as they twist and 

 twirl simultaneously, as though under the direction of some leader ; 

 now showing snowy white against the dark rain-clouds behind them, 

 and now nearly vanishing out of sight as they turn against the 

 wind. The Peewit is one of those numerous birds which most 

 adroitly draws off attention from its young by various and cunning 

 manoeuvres. It will tumble over, both on the ground and in the 

 air, until it has succeeded in making you take your eye off the spot 

 where the young ones are hiding under any vantage-ground they 

 may have been able to secure. They are very hard birds for any 

 Hawk to strike ; and I have seen a Peregrine Falcon completely 

 outdone by the twists and twirls of one of these birds. An old bird, 

 I expect, is not often taken by them, anyhow single-handed ; though 

 the young birds of the year, or one out of a large flock, often fall 

 an easy victim to their terrible adversary. It is astonishing that 

 they increase so rapidly as they do, when you consider the hundreds 

 of dozens in which their eggs are taken and sold weekly during 

 the breeding season ; these delicacies, when they first come in, 

 fetching, in London, as much as four shillings a dozen ; though, 

 after the first week or so, they rapidly decline in price. 



Squatarola Cinerea, f * Grey Plover." " Not uncommon of late 

 years," writes Hart, " in Christchurch Harbour, in their summer 

 plumage," which differs considerably from their winter garb the 

 whole of the neck and breast (as is also the case in the Golden 

 Plover) being of a rich jet black, while in the winter it is of a dull 



