40 The Irish Naturalist. February, 



At Inch it nests all over the bare vSloblands by the inside 

 waters, and there its breeding habits can be fully studied. 

 The nest is made in much the same position as that of the 

 Lapwing and Redshank, but many that I examined on the slob- 

 lands w^ere situated nearer the water and on damper ground 

 than is usual with those of the larger birds. 



It is made in a small depression (scraped, I think) in the 

 midst, or by the side of a tin}^ tussock of grass. Often the 

 grass is bent over the nest so that the eggs are not open to 

 view like the I^apwing's. 



The nest, which is deeper and more cup-like than the I^ap- 

 wing's, is lined with fine dry grass. The eggs are very 

 beautiful. There are two distinct t3^pes — the common type 

 with olive ground-colour and large blotches of deep rich brown, 

 and the rarer type, with light stone ground-colour and small 

 blotches or spots of brown. 



During the nesting season the breeding birds are very 

 tame. The pair are usually to be found at the water's edge 

 near the vicinit}^ of the nest, and will allow one to approach 

 to within a few yards. But I never found them very near 

 the nest before incubation commenced, or flying round and 

 showing intense anxiety like the I^apwing and Redshank. Mr. 

 John M'Connell informs me that when the eggs are being 

 hatched he has seen the Dunlin, when flushed from the nest, 

 feign being wounded, to draw one away. 



When the 3^oung are hatched the conduct of the parents is 

 entirely different. Then the}^ become even bolder and more 

 heedless of danger than the Redshanks. 



The}^ will fly over and around one ceaselessl}^, but only 

 occasionall}^ do they utter their alarm note. On an afternoon 

 last June, when I was walking along a ridge on the Inch slob- 

 land, where evidently a brood of 3^oung DunHns were in 

 hiding, the parents showed the greatest anxiet3^ One 

 alighted some way off and walked towards us until within 

 about six yards. Then both birds flew lo and fro a few 

 3'ards overhead, and just while passing, one (presumably the 

 male) gave the peculiar breeding call or alarm note. This 

 note is most distinctive, and once recognized can never be 

 mistaken. It is a clear rippling whistle, and resembles the 

 call note of the Whimbril. The note is more slurred than that 



