NOTES ON THE EREEDING HABITS OF THE DOTTEREL 189 



Dotterel is often polyandrous. Altruism, if such it may be 

 termed when eggs only are concerned, is perhaps an alter- 

 native explanation, but to my mind this possibility is greatly 

 decreased when I reflect that in 1908 I witnessed a Dotterel, 

 at whose nest my camera was "set, vigorously pursue and 

 chase away another bird which had ventured near. 



It would be very interesting to know if other observers 

 have noticed three Dotterel at one nest, or even the frequent 

 occurrence of three in company ; I consider that my own 

 experiences are not sufficient to allow of definite conclusions 

 being arrived at. 



Following on the above notes, I add a more general 

 account of the breeding habits of the Dotterel. I have 

 already indicated that the nest may be found at altitudes 

 of from 3200 feet to over 4000 feet. They may nest even 

 below the 3000 feet contour, but I have never found them so 

 low. With one exception, all the nests which I have found 

 have faced east or south or some intermediate direction. 

 The one exception had an exposure which it was very 

 difficult to determine. It was in a slight hollow practically 

 on the top of a mound, and if any exposure could be 

 assigned, it was north. There were other exceptional points 

 about this nest, for I found it on a very late date, i8th July, 

 and I think that the eggs were fresh, although I did not test 

 them. The behaviour of the bird, too, was unusual, and 

 I first noticed it quite fifty yards off, fluttering and pretending 

 to have a broken wing. 



Now it is usual for a Dotterel to resort to these tactics 

 when leaving a nest on which it has remained until almost 

 trodden upon, but this is the only occasion on which I have 

 seen it sham disablement on leaving a nest which was still 

 some distance from me. Its usual behaviour in such circum- 

 stances is to slink off the nest at a distance of perhaps as 

 much as one hundred yards, and to run in a crouching 

 attitude for a considerable distance, taking advantage of any 

 unevenness in the ground. On one occasion only have 

 I seen a bird fly direct off a nest, and it has already been 

 referred to. The state of incubation has nothing whatever 

 to do with a particular Dotterel's behaviour, which depends 



