270 JACKSON : NOTES ON THE LAPWING NEAR GARSTANG. 



Of course so common a bird has many provincial names (see 

 * Provincial names of British Birds,' by Rev. Chas. Swainson, M.A., 

 English Dialect Society, 1885), a few of which it may be interesting 

 to notice. First from its mode of flight, Lipwingle (in Bedfordshire), 

 Lymptwigg (on Exmoor), Flopwing; second from its cry, Pee-wit 

 (generally), Piewipe, Peeweep (in Norfolk), Puit (Essex, Suffolk, 

 Norfolk), Pease weep (Stirling and Forfar), Weep or Wype, Tewhit 

 and Teewheep (Kirkcudbright, Orkney), Teufit (Cleveland, East 

 Yorkshire), Teuchit (Forfar), Tuet (Westmorland, Lancashire, West 

 Riding), Dix-Huit (France) ; third from its plumage, Hornpie 

 (Norfolk, East Suffolk), Horneywink (Cornwall), Green Plover 

 (Ireland), Cornwillen (Cornwall). ' The Lapwing is almost universally 

 held in bad esteem, as is shown by the various titles and legends in 

 which it plays a part. In the South of Scotland the peasantry bear it 

 a traditional antipathy, arising from the raids upon the Covenanters 

 by Claverhouse and Dalyell of Binns, whose troopers were directed 

 to their hiding-places by its cries of alarm. Hence its name of " the 

 ungrateful bird." Leyden alludes to this in the lines : — 



And though the pitying sun withdraws his light, 

 The Lapwing's clamorous whoop attends their flight j 

 Pursues their steps where'er the wanderers go, 

 Till the shrill scream betray them to the foe. 

 Poor bird ! where'er the wandering swain intrudes 

 On thy bleak heath and desert solitudes, 

 He curses still thy scream and clamorous tongue, 

 And crushes with his foot thy moulting young. 



In Eastern story the Lapwing is mentioned as having the power 

 of finding water under ground in the desert.' This is, no doubt, from 

 its always resorting to a damp spot, if there be one, because of the 

 food to be found there. 



The first few days of 1887 the ground was so hard with frost that 

 with the exception of three or four birds flying over, no Lapwings 

 were to be seen. When flying in a flock no regular form is observed, 

 such as many other birds assume under the same circumstances. 

 If a flock is observed flying across a dark background of cloud, the 

 silvery white of the feathers when the wings are raised has a very 

 striking effect, especially if the sun happens to be shining. On the 

 22nd January, the weather having moderated, a small flock of 

 Lapwings had returned to the pasture-fields, and were busy running 

 about in company with some Starlings, as is often the case. On 

 February 6th the ground was frozen hard, and in a wheat-field at 

 Burtonwood about twenty of these birds were resting on the ground, 

 not standing on their feet or running about, but apparently waiting 

 for the ground to soften. February 26th — Plenty of birds running 



Naturalist, 



