
























53 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
throw out, they move them gently away, and flrike 
the ground with their feet: they keep their eyes 
fixed upon the fpot; the worm is frightened and 
comes out, and the Lapwing immediately feizes it 
with its beak. At night they run along the graf 
and feel with their feet the worms that are come 
upon the furface to enjoy the dew of the evening, 
"They take great numbers of them, and then they 
wath their beaks and their feet in little rivulets o 
puddles. 
As foon as the weather grows a little warm, the 
Lapwings feparate and pair. ‘They lay in Apyi, 
three or four eggs, in marfhes, upon a little heap 
of earth, to keep them from the wet; and their 
eggs are very nice food. ‘They fit twenty days; 
the female is almoft conftantly on the neft; and 
if any thing frightens her fhe runs along the graf 
and does not rife until fhe is at fome diftance from 
the neft, that fhe may not fhew where it is. Oli 
Lapwings, whofe nefts have frequently been rob} . 
bed, make them amongft the corn, where theyar 
more fafe. The little ones, two or three days 
after they are hatched, run after their parents, who 
are very artful in deceiving fuch as are fearch 
ing for their young. As foon as the female per 
ceives thefe enemies, fhe leaves her neft and run 
towards them: fhe then rifes from the grounl 
wit 
