510 CRESTED LAP\VING. 



This elegant species has the occipital feathers 

 greatly elongated, slender, and recurved at the 

 tip : the top of the head, the crest, the fore-part of 

 the neck, and the breast, glossy black : the upper 

 parts of the body are deep green, with brighter 

 reflections : the sides of the neck, the belly, the 

 abdomen, and the base of the tail, are pure white : 

 the tail-feathers are tipped with a large black spot, 

 the outer one excepted : its under coverts are 

 rufous : the beak is dusky : the feet during the 

 winter are red-brown ; in the summer brownish 

 red: its length is thirteen inches and a half. The 

 female has the black on the throat and on the 

 breast less deep. The young have the occipital 

 crest shorter : beneath the eyes they are dusky : 

 the throat is varied with black and grey-brown : 

 the whole of the feathers of the upper and under 

 parts of the plumage are tipped with yellow- 

 ochre : the feet are olive-grey. 



It varies accidentally in being found of a pure 

 white, or yellowish white, with the whole of the 

 proper colours slightly indicated ; also mottled in 

 various manners with white. 



The Lapwing is common in most parts of Eu- 

 rope, particularly Holland: it frequents the damp 

 shores of lakes and rivers, and also fens, humid 

 fields, or heaths. It changes its place according 

 to the season, retiring southward in the autumn, 

 at which time it associates in large flocks of four 

 or five hundred, or more, and frequents marshy 

 places : they are then esteemed good food, and 

 many are captured for the table j the eggs are also 



