DOTTEREL. 399 



they are found, but only in small numbers, on the highest 

 mountains of Bohemia and Silesia, at elevations from four 

 thousand five hundred to four thousand eight hundred feet. 

 In France, according to M. Vieillot, they are only seen on 

 their passage in spring and autumn ; and they are included in 

 the Catalogues of the Birds of Provence, Genoa, and Italy. 

 They are seen in the Grecian Archipelago and the Levant ; 

 and the Zoological Society have received a specimen sent by 

 Messrs. Dickson and Ross from Trebizond. 



'J'he Dotterel are well known as most excellent birds for 

 the table ; the few that in spring and autumn are sent to the 

 London market, find ready sale at seven or eight shillings a 

 couple. They are reckoned very foolish birds, so that a dull 

 fellow is proverbially called a Dotterel. Authors seem to 

 have had this latter quality in their view when they called the 

 bird morinelhis, Avhich is probably derived from the Latin 

 morio, a fool, adding the diminutive, meaning a little fool. 

 The gun has long since superseded the net, as a means of 

 obtaining Dotterel ; the bird was said to imitate the actions 

 of the fowler : but its various qualities are referred to by 

 several old writers ; thus Drayton, in his Polyolbion says — 



" The Dotterel, whicli we think a very dainty disli, 



Whose taking makes such sport, as no man more can wish. 

 For as you creep, or cower, or lie, or stoop, or go. 

 So, marking you with care, the apish bird doth do ; 

 And acting everything, doth never mark the net, 

 Till he be in the snare which men for him have set." 



The adult bird, in its summer plumage, has the beak nearly 

 black ; the irides brown ; the top of the head and nape of the 

 neck very dark brown, bounded on the sides and behind by a 

 band of pure white ; the ear-coverts, the neck and back, ash 

 colour ; the scapulars, wing-coverts and tertials, ash brown 

 edged with buff; wing-primaries ash grey, the first with a 

 broad white shaft ; tail-feathers grevish brown ; those in the 



