JACKSON: Nf)TES ON THE LAPWING NEAR GARSTANG. 271 



about the grass fields ; saw some forty in one field, mostly about 

 twenty yards apart, and busy sticking their bills into the ground. 

 Also saw a few pairs which had to all appearance chosen their field 

 to nest in, although there was no appearance of the wild flying up 

 and down which they exhibit in the breeding season, nor any attempt 

 at making nests. On March 19th Tewits were abundant, not more 

 than two together, and spread about over all the localities where they 

 usually nest, but no sign of nests yet, and the weather very cold, 

 with east wind, whilst much snow still remains on the high ground. 

 March 25th — Birds still in plenty, scattered over the fields, but no 

 trace of nests. April 2nd — Tewits very noisy, seeming never to rest, 

 shouting and flying about night and day. They were scattered over 

 the fields, mostly in pairs, but saw one small flock of about seven ; 

 no nests to be seen as yet. April 8th — During a day's walk near 

 Bakewell, in Derbyshire, we saw only three Tewits, but the ground 

 was not specially suitable for them, and they are evidently not very 

 numerous just there. April iith^ — Tewits in great plenty, and when 

 the night happens to be warm, they are very noisy. If the night is 

 cold it seems to check their exuberance. Several nests are now 

 made, but saw no eggs. The nest is a shallow depression in the 

 ground, generally scratched out by the bird ; in some cases lined 

 with short straws, but in many nests no straws are to be seen. We 

 may note here that very many nests are made which never seem to 

 have eggs laid in them, and this seems especially to be the case in 

 ploughed fields, where the nests are almost on the bare earth. 

 April 22nd — Tewit's nest, with four eggs in, 'hard sat.' The birds 

 are very plentiful, and apparently never rest at this season of the 

 year, day or night ; the noise of their wings as they rush close over 

 you in the dark gives you the idea that each separate feather will be 

 torn out of the wing by the strain on it. We heard several birds 

 making the peculiar grating noise they produce when on the ground, 

 and in many cases whilst scratching a hollow for a nest ; the weather 

 cold and nests not plentiful. In early spring the eggs run the danger 

 of being frozen, and in this case the shell cracks and the egg is 

 spoiled. Rooks may be often observed flying over the fields where 

 the Lapwings are nesting, keeping close to the groimd, and they are 

 sure to be attacked by the Lapwings and driven away. No doubt the 

 Rook likes Plovers' eggs raw as well as we do boiled. Lapwings 

 have at least four distinct notes: (1st) The usual call of ' pee-wit,' 

 from which so many of its local names are derived ; (2nd) the 

 exaggerated form of this which they give forth with such vigour 

 whilst performing all sorts of gyrations in the air over their nesting 

 places at the beginning of the breeding season ; (3rd) the grating 



iSept. 1888. 



