150 BULLETIN 146^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Labrador, and then southeasterly, following the coast to Newfoundland. Here, 

 near the shore, snowless tundras, which pi'obably would furnish a food supply, 

 may have existed, even in December, with the result that the recently scattered 

 birds became gradually concentrated.]* 



Egg ^a^es.— March 2 to 19 (9 dates) ; March 26 to 31 (18 dates) ; 

 April 1 to 14 (60 dates) ; April 15 to 30 (29 dates, probably includ- 

 ing many second layings) ; late date June 22. All the above from 

 England. 



EUDROMIAS MOKINELLUS (LinnacHs) 



DOTTEREL 



Contribtited 'by Francis Charles Robert Joiirclain 



HABITS 



The claim of this species to a place in the American list rests on 

 a single occurrence at King Island, Alaska, on July 23, 1897. 



Spring. — The regularity of the appearance of the dotterel on 

 migration at almost the same spots year after year and approxi- 

 mately about the same time in spring, has proved a great disad- 

 vantage to the species, as being very tame and unsuspicious and 

 much sought after, not only as a delicacy for the table, but also on 

 account of the demand for its feathers on the part of fly-fishers, it 

 was mercilessly shot on the way to its breeding grounds in the north 

 of England and Scotland. The usual date of arrival was^about the 

 last week of April and the beginning of May and little " trips " 

 might be looked for annually at certain favored spots along the 

 route northward. Exceptionally early arrivals have been recorded 

 on March 25, April 4 and April 8, but these are quite unusual. 

 " Oourtship. — Owing no doubt partly to the inaccessible nature of 

 its haunts and also partly to its scarcity, there is nothing on record 

 in the literature as to the courtship of this bird. All writers are 

 agreed that the migrants which pass through England are in small 

 flocks or " trips " and are still unpaired. In 1922 I was on the high 

 field of West Finmark and there was still a great deal of snow about, 

 but here and there islands of gray rock stood out from the snow field. 

 Here we met with dotterel in fair numbers, evidently pairing and 

 house hunting. They shared the ground with a few snow buntings 

 and ptarmigan, and it was obvious that already certain spots had 

 been selected for breeding. Sometimes three birds would be seen 

 wheeling round a bare patch of moor and rock and freely uttering 

 their courting notes, which reminded us of those of the ring plover. 



2 See also A Transatlantic Passage of Lapwings, by H. F. Witlierby, in British Birds, 

 vol. 22, pp. 6-13. 



