BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 373 
times they come daringly near one's own head. I once 
saw an mofiFensive Black-headed Gull "knocked out of 
time and m danger of losing its life, till I picked it up and 
released it on a neighbouring loch. The late W. G Hunter 
states that he has found five eggs in one nest occasionally, 
but that four are the usual " clutch " at the first laying, and 
should these be destroyed, only three are laid.* When 
disturbed during incubation the female creeps secretly off her 
nest, and it is the male which executes all manner of aerial 
evolutions to attract one's attention. He may always be 
recognised from his mate by his longer crest and the rounder 
appearance of his wings ; the third primary being the longest 
the secondand fourthequal, and the firstas longas theseventh 
in the female the second and third primaries are the longest 
and the first and fourth are equal in length to the seventh t 
Iwenty-six days are required for incubation, and it is when 
the young are newly hatched or "run" that the parent 
Lapmngs become most bold. An observation made by 
Mr. K. Service, though not actuaUy within the confines of 
the county, may perhaps be here quoted ; he states : " One 
day at the end of May, 1892, while passing along a road 
near bouthwick, a Lapwing flew over my head holding 
betwixt its legs, pressed up against its abdomen, with its 
tan at the same time much depressed, what I have every 
confidence m saying was a young one. The bird aUghted 
m the adjoming field, and I marked the spot, and, on running 
up, found a young one, perhaps four days old, or less. Many 
years before I had seen a similar incident, and the belief 
IS very general amongst country folks that Lapwings wiU 
when any danger threatens, remove their young to safe 
spots by carrying them."t 
As regards its utility to' agriculture, there is no bird more 
beneficial than this species. "Its food consists entirely 
Of wireworms, leather-jackets, surface larv», snails, slugs, 
• Dumfries Courier and Herald, April 15th, 1908. 
t Ibia, 1904, pp. 446-4S1. 
t Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasg., 1905, Vol. VIII., pp. 43. 49. 
