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DOTTEREL. 



CHARADRIUS MORINELLUS. 

 Family Charadriid^. Genus Charadrius. 

 Dotterel — Dotterel Plover — Foolish Dotterel, 



The Dotterel is a summer visitor to our country, 

 and not a common one. It arrives at the end of April 

 or beginning of May. Its haunts are the barren un- 

 cultivated wastes ; and on the tops of the highest 

 mountains it builds its nest. It is doubtful whether 

 it breeds often in England now ; though formerly it 

 did so on the loftiest mountains of the Lake district 

 and probably occasionally does so still. Its favourite 

 breeding places now are in the wildest and most 

 mountainous districts of Scotland. 



It is not at all a shy bird, and frequently allows 

 one to approach within a few yards of it ; hence it 

 has obtained the name of " foolish Dotterel ". It has 

 suffered much persecution from specimen hunters and 

 sportsmen, for its flesh is capital eating. Its feathers 

 are also said to be eagerly sought after to make 

 artificial flies for fishing purposes. 



