. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE GOLDEN-BREASTED TRV'MPETER. 385 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 lu its flight, and its mournful cry almost fatiguing the ear with its piercing frequency. " Wee-whit! wee-e-whit !" tills the air, as the birds endeavour to draw away attention from their home ; and the look and cry are so weird- like that the observer ceases to wonder at the superstitious dread in which these birds were formerly held. The French call the Lap
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE GOLDEN-BREASTED TRV'MPETER. 385 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 lu its flight, and its mournful cry almost fatiguing the ear with its piercing frequency. " Wee-whit! wee-e-whit !" tills the air, as the birds endeavour to draw away attention from their home ; and the look and cry are so weird- like that the observer ceases to wonder at the superstitious dread in which these birds were formerly held. The French call the Lapwing " Dix-huit," from its cry. It is the male bird which thus soars above and around the intruder, the female sitting closely on her eggs until disturbed, when she runs away, tumbling and flapping about as if she had broken her wing, in hopes that the foe may give chase and so miss her eggs. It is certainly very tempting, for she imitates the movements of a wounded bird with marvellous fidehty. The eggs of the Lapwing are laid in a httle depression in the earth, in which a few grass stalks are loosely pressed. The full number of eggs is four, very large at one end and very sharply pointed at the other, and the bird always arranges them with their small end inwards, so that .,^--_ they present a somewhat cross- lapwing.—(F"aw//«j rmCatej.) like shape as they lie in the nest. Their colour is olive, blotched and spotted irregularly with dark blackish brown, and they harmonize so well with the ground on which they are laid that they can hardly be discerned from the surrounding earth at a few yards' distance. Under the title of " Plover's eggs " they are in great request for the table, and are sought by persons who make a trade of them, and who attain a wonderful expertness at the business. The food of the Lapwing consists almost wholly of grubs, slugs, worms, and insects. It is easily tamed, and is often kept in gardens for the purpose of ridding them o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
