4 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
throw out, they move them gently away, and ftrike 
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 theyrun along the grafs 
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 or 
puddles. . 
__ As foon as the ei grows alittle warm, the 
Lapwings feparate and pair, ‘They lay in April, 
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 grafs, 
and does not rife until fhe is at fome diftance from 
the neft, that fhe may not fhew where it is. Old 
_Lapwings, whofe nefts have frequently been rob- - 
bed, make them amongft the corn, where they are - 
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 runs 
towards Rem: fhe then rifes from the ground 
with 
