THE LAPWING , OR PEEWIT. 
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which, the bird is so readily known. The breast is light brown, and the abdomen, as well as 
the upper tail-coverts, is white. The quill-feathers of the wings are dark blackish -brown, and 
the deeply forked tail is white at its basal half, and dark blackish-brown to the tip. 
The very rare bird which, on account of its speed of foot and the color of its plumage, is 
termed the Cream-colored Courser, is found even less frequently than the preceding 
species. 
It seems to live chiefly in Ba,rbary or Abyssinia, though specimens have been obtained from 
almost every country in Europe. One of these birds, shot in Kent, was remarkable for its 
boldness. When the gun that was aimed at it missed fire, the bird only flew away for a short 
distance, and then alighted within a hundred yards of the gunner. It ran with great velocity, 
picking up objects from the ground in its course, and it was with difficulty raised from the 
ground so as to afford a fair shot. The note of this species is very peculiar, and is uttered 
on the wing. 
The crown of the head is fawn, fading into gray behind, and the chin is white. From the 
eye over the ear-coverts is a black curved streak, and immediately above it is a similar white 
streak. The whole upper parts of the body are pale reddish-brown, the primary feathers of 
the wing are jetty-black, and there is a curious black spot near the end of each tail-feather. 
The whole under surface is cream-white, becoming white on the under tail-coverts. Both sexes 
are similarly colored, and the total length is rather more than ten inches. 
The well-known Lapwing, or Peewit, is celebrated for many reasons. Its wheeling, 
flapping flight is so peculiar as to attract the notice of every one who has visited the localities 
in which it resides, and its strange, almost articulate, cry is equally familiar. When it fears 
danger, it rises from the nest, or rather from the eggs, into the air, and continually wheels 
around the intruder, its black and white plumage flashing out as it inclines itself in its flight, 
and its mournful cry almost fatiguing the ear with its piercing frequency. “Wee- whit! 
wee-e whit ! ” fills the air, as the birds endeavor to draw away attention from their home ; and 
