THE DOTTEREL 165 



as in the Red-necked Phalarope — is not so line or 

 showily dressed a bird as the female, and con- 

 sequently the greater part of the duties of 

 incubation and tending the brood devolve upon 

 him. But one brood is reared in the year. At the 

 nest the old birds frequently try by cunning 

 artifices to lui-e an intruder away. 



The adult female Dotterel in breeding plumage 

 has the general colour of the upper parts greyish 

 brown, becoming brownish black on the crown ; 

 the shaft of the first primary is white ; the wing 

 coverts and innermost secondaries and scapulars 

 are margined with chestnut ; the outer tail feathers 

 have broad white tips. From the base of the bill 

 extending backwards round the crown is a white 

 stripe ; the chin and throat are white ; the breast 

 is greyish brown ; across the chest is a white band 

 margined with black ; the remainder of the under 

 parts are chestnut, shading into nearly black on the 

 belly, and bufiish white on the thighs, vent, and 

 under tail coverts. The male is smaller and less 

 brilliant than the female. The young bird has the 

 crown dark brown with pale margins, the breast 

 mottled with greyish brown, the white gorget 

 only faintly indicated, and the rest of the under 

 parts white. The total length of the female 



