NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE DOTTEREL 187 



about on a mossy patch but not showing much sign of 

 anxiety. I sat down at a distance to watch, while my 

 friend examined other parts of the plateau. After about 

 two hours I had a pretty fair idea of the whereabouts of the 

 nest so I summoned my friend to assist in the search. He 

 had no sooner stepped on to the patch of moss than the 

 bird fluttered off at his feet. 



The nest which had an eastern exposure, just under the 

 crest of a mound, was a mere depression in the moss with a 

 few pieces of lichen in it, and it contained three eggs. A 

 subsequent careful examination of the map showed the 

 altitude to have been 4040 feet. Besides taking a photo 

 of the nest I tried to get one of its owner, for the bird had 

 now come very close to us and was running about within 

 a few feet. I failed in this but was soon gratified by the 

 appearance of two more birds. All three were now running 

 about evidently alarmed, and we concluded that there was 

 another pair .nesting somewhere near. We thoroughly 

 searched every piece of available ground for a long way 

 round, but without result. All three birds showed anxiety 

 only when we were in the vicinity of the nest. 



When we re-visited the nest three days later, only one 

 bird was to be seen, but heavy mist prevented observation, 

 and a perfect deluge of sleet soon drove us to lower ground. 

 Again I had seen three Dotterel in company, and again I 

 attached no special significance to it. In fact I wrote in 

 my notes that there were evidently two pairs on the plateau. 

 I have noticed Dotterel at this place on various occasions 

 since, but they do not nest there every year, and a nest at 

 over 4000 feet is possibly a little exceptional, although I 

 do not doubt that one or two might be found every year at 

 or above that altitude, if careful search on all possible sites 

 were made. 



During the next few years my observations were almost 

 exclusively made at altitudes of from 3200 feet to 3500 feet, 

 which are most favoured for nesting purposes. Here, 

 although I have frequently noted three birds in company, 

 on the wing or on the ground, the undoubted proximity of 

 several nests prevented any significance being attached 



