. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. LWWl'SU.—l'iiniiliis crisldtus. frcf| "Wee-whit! wee-o whit!" lills the air, as the birdseiKleavouv to draw away attrition from tlieir home ; and the look and cry are so weird-like that the observer ceases to wonder at the superstitions dread in which these birds were formerly held. The Frencli call the Lapwing " Dix-lmit," from its cry. It is the male bird which thus soars above and .round the intruder, the female sitting closely on her eggs until disturbed, when .s
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. LWWl'SU.—l'iiniiliis crisldtus. frcf| "Wee-whit! wee-o whit!" lills the air, as the birdseiKleavouv to draw away attrition from tlieir home ; and the look and cry are so weird-like that the observer ceases to wonder at the superstitions dread in which these birds were formerly held. The Frencli call the Lapwing " Dix-lmit," from its cry. It is the male bird which thus soars above and .round 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 niovements of a wounded bird with marvellous fidelity. The eggs of th Lapwhig are laid in a little dei)ression 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 al \'irranges them M-ith their small end iinvards, so that they present a somewhat cross-like shape as they lie in the nest. Their colour is olive, blotched and spotted irregularly with dark blackish brown, anu they harmonize so well with the ground on which they are laid that they can hardly be discerned from the furroundiii!-- earth at a few yards' "distance. Under the title of " Plover's C'jjgs" they are in great rec^uesi for the table, and are sought by persons who make a trade of them, and who attain a wonderful expertncss at the business. The eggs are generally laid in marshy grounds, heaths, and commons, where they are sometimes found by dogs trained for the purpose. They are, however, often placed in cultivated grounds, and I have tound numbers in ploughed fields in the months of April and INIay. At first, the novice way pass over the ground three or four times without finding an egg, and may
Size: 908px × 2751px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
