Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/56

30 larly, and yet wrongly, ascribed to the Peewit." As we have here two experienced observers expressing their disbelief in the fact that the Lapwing ever employs the ruse of "shamming wounded" on behalf of its offspring, I thought the following incident worth reporting, as evidence in the opposite direction:—On May 30th of this year (1901) I was walking along the bank of an old disused canal, bounded on either side by a considerable stretch of flat marshy ground, upon which a number of Lapwings breed. As I approached a certain spot I noticed a pair of these birds becoming tremendously excited, flying backwards and forwards past me in a manner so characteristic of them when their young are hatched, and crying incessantly. When I thought I had reached the place about which they seemed most anxious, and near where the young were probably lying hidden in the grass, I stopped, and immediately both birds alighted on the ground close to me, with wings spread and hanging down brushing the ground, and each began running along, constantly toppling over on to one shoulder, with wings flapping feebly upon the ground, exactly as if injured. When I approached them they immediately flew up, and began flying backwards and forwards again close to my head; but when I stopped they again settled, and went through the same performance. There was no doubt about the simulation of injury, and I think this conclusively proves that the Lapwing does—at all events, upon occasions—employ this well-known deception to protect its young, though in the case of these birds the instinct did not seem to be a highly perfected one, as when approached they gave up the deception, and did not attempt to decoy me further. I have never before seen a Lapwing act in this manner, and had always myself been sceptical upon the point. Mr. E. Selous, in 'Bird Watching,' discussing the possible origin of this interesting piece of acting in birds, suggests that the performance might have been originally due to a sort of hysteria and loss of mental balance caused by the shock of being suddenly disturbed from the nest, after sitting still for a long time, and that this has been acted upon by Natural Selection, "aided by the intelligence of the bird in perceiving the advantage of such a performance," until it has become an "instinct" or habit. But I have often thought it might have arisen from birds being seized with actual cramp from long sitting, this having been acted upon by Natural Selection in the same manner; and it seems to me quite possible that even some of the cases one meets with to-day of birds fluttering along the ground as if wounded, when put off their nests, may be attributable to temporary cramp from long sitting in the same position.— (82, Finchley Road, N.W.).