THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 137 



The decrease in the number of Dotterel visiting 

 the lake district is correlated with a great scarcity 

 of the species upon the salt marshes of the Solway. 

 Until recent years, a few Dotterel were constantly 

 seen by herds and fishermen on Burgh, Skinburness, 

 and Rockliffe marshes during the first fortnight of 

 May ; when, if undisturbed, they lingered for about 

 ten days, constantly frequenting the same portions 

 of the marshes. In the present year (1885), a 

 few Dotterel appeared on Burgh and Skinburness 

 marshes early in May, and five were unfortunately 

 shot for fishing feathers. 



From the lake district, a few Dotterel are still 

 sent to the dressers of flies, and many Dotterel flies 

 are still made up, though they in reality contain 

 very few Dotterel feathers. The axillaries of the 

 Starling are used to supply the upper wing coverts 

 of the Dotterel, and we lately observed a number 

 of flies in preparation, the feathers of the Starling 

 being of course the chief material. 



It is probable that the small trips of Dotterel, 

 which visit our salt marshes so irregularly, are 

 resting on their way to more northern breeding 

 grounds. Dotterel have been shot on two recent 

 occasions on Crossfell in the month of March, and 

 in 1884 an example was sent to Carlisle to dress 

 flies, in the middle of April, but the former dates 

 are exceptional. 



We have no notes of the occurrence of the 

 Dotterel in autumn ; but Dr. Heysham examined 

 a bird " which was shot on the top of Skiddaw on 

 the 16th of September." 



It was in 1836, that the late Mr. Yarrell 



