LAPWINGS are birds of the family Chara dridm, of the sub-family Vanellinm, and of the genera Vanellus, Chetusia, Lobivanellus, Sarcio phorus, and Hoplopterus. The crested lapwing, Vanellus cristatus, the English peewit, occurs throughout a great part of Europe and Asia. It breeds in the Panjab.
The little brown-coloured lapwing, Chetusia leucura, is rare in most parts of India, and most probably migratory in the Panjab. It is said to be common in Afghanistan, where, according to Mr. Blyth, it is known by the name of Chizi. The call of the spur-winged lapwing, Lobivanellus goensis, is peculiar. This unsettled water-sprite often flies about at night, startling the unwary with its cry of Did dee doo it, did did did dee doo it. Like the European lapwing, it assails all who intrude on its haunts. It has horny spurs on the wings. Dr. Jerdon names V. cristatus, Chetusia gregaria, Ch. leucura, Ch. inornata, Lobivanellus goensis, Sarciophorus bilobus, Hoplopterus ventralis.
Whoever has unhooded the falcon at a lapwing, or even scared one from her nest, need not be told of its peculiarly distressing scream, as if appealing to sympathy. Tradition relates that a lapwing was scared from her nest as the rival armies of the Kuru and Pandu joined in battle, when the compassionate Krishna, taking from an elephant's neck a war-bell (vira gunt'ha), covered the nest, in order to protect it. When the
majority of the feudal nobles of Marwar became self-exiled, to avoid the almost demoniac fury of their sovereign after his alliance with the British Government, Anar Singh, the chief of Ahore, a fine specimen of the Rahtor Rajput, brave, in telligent, and amiable, was one day lamenting, that while all India was enjoying tranquillity under the shield of Britain, they alone were suffering from the caprice of a tyrant ; concluding a powerful appeal to Colonel Tod's personal inter position with the foregoing allegory, and observing on the beauty of the office of mediator. You are all-powerful,' added he, and we may be of little account in the grand scale of affairs, but Krishna condescended to protect even the lap wing's egg in the midst of battle.' Colonel Tod replied in the same strain, ' Would to God, Thakur Sahib, I had the viva giintlia to protect you.'— Tod's Rajasthan, i. p. 524 ; Adams ; Jerdon. See Birds.