BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 73 



with white. Legs, toes, and webs dark brown on 

 the outside and lighter within. 



The female is somewhat smaller in size than 

 the male. 



Situation and Locality. On the turf or amongst 

 stones and shingle close to the edges of lonely 

 moorland and mountain pools, tarns, or lakes ; by 

 preference on a small island in any of the above 

 sheets of water, on the northern and western 

 mainland, and the islands off those coasts of 

 Scotland. The bird is also said to breed in the 

 west of Ireland. 



Materials. Loose rushes and dry grass, very 

 often nothing at all. 



Eggs. Two. Olive, or deep greenish-brown in 

 ground-colour, spotted with blackish-brown. Size 

 about 2.8 by 1.8 in. (See Plate XIII.) 



Time. May and June. 



Remarks. Resident, but subject to much local 

 movement. Notes : kakera, kakera, uttered during 

 the breeding season. Local and other names : Rain 

 Goose, Kakera, Cobble, Speckled Diver, Spratoon, 

 Sprat-borer. Not a close sitter. I have seen as 

 many as seven members of this species on the wing 

 together in the Outer Hebrides even in May. 



DOTTEREL, COMMON. 



(Eudromias marine llus.) 

 Order LIMICOL^: ; Family CHARADRIID.E (PLOVERS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about nine 

 and a half inches. Bill of medium length, straight 

 and black. Irides dark brown. Crown and nape 

 blackish-brown. A broad white line runs from the 



