46 
PEEWIT. 
the dog to drink out of, and while he was thus employed 
he shewed marks of the greatest indignation if either of 
his companions presumed to interrupt him.’ They are restless, 
watchful, and shy birds, and rarely approach houses, or even 
the vicinity of trees, preferring wide and open places. Even 
when roosting in the middle of the day, some sentinels are 
on the look out to give timely notice to the flock of any 
approaching danger. 
‘The Lapwing,’ says Mr. Conway, will fly round and round, 
tumbling and tossing in the air, and at the same time 
making the country resound with the echoes of its endless 
‘pee-wit!’ and thus lead the intruder farther and farther from 
its nest.’ Its gyrations on these occasions are such as 
must strike the most inattentive passer-by, and the thoughtful 
mind will watch them with pleasing admiration. It is the 
male bird that is most clamorous on these occasions; the 
female on being disturbed runs first from the eggs or young, 
and then flies a little way, near the ground and in silence. 
The flight of the Lapwing is indicated by this, one of its 
vernacular names derived from it, a rather slow flapping of 
the wings. It seems at one and the same time both laboured 
and light, and is seen to advantage when the bird is chasing 
some prowling crow who has come too near. In dashing 
and whirling about in the air, when you by chance approach 
the spot where its young or eggs are located, it frequently 
makes a rushing sound with its wings, which really at times 
bears a striking resemblance to the puffing of the engine of 
a railway-train, heard at some distance, or against the wind. 
Before taking wing it stretches the head out, and previous 
to alighting skims along the ground. 
In Scotland it is said to be considered as an unlucky bird, 
owing to its having formerly been the means, by hovering 
about the fleeing Covenanters who chanced to disturb it, of 
guiding their pursuers to them. On the other hand, it is 
related that the founder of the family of Tyrwhitt of Lin¬ 
colnshire, was saved by his followers being thus directed to 
him where he lay wounded after a skirmish. ‘It runs swiftly, 
in a horizontal position, with the head downwards; during 
which it has a singular habit of stopping suddenly at intervals, 
and putting its bill to the ground, but without picking up 
anything, apparently to bring its body, as it were, to a 
proper equilibrium.’ On first alighting, the wings are stretched 
up on each side before being settled in their attitude of rest. 
