296 DOTTEREL. 



be taken as aberrant forms, as the systematist 

 inclines. 



THE DOTTEREL, CHARADRIUS MORINELLUS. 

 Plavier gingnud, Temm. The Dotterel, or Dotterel 

 Plover of British authors. The Dotterel is a spring 

 and summer visitant to Britain ; in the southern 

 counties of England only seen in their passage to 

 and from their breeding stations ; in the Lowlands 

 of Scotland being occasionally found during a 

 similar transition ; but, in a few localities, incu- 

 bating on some of the mountain ranges of both 

 countries. In Ireland, we have the authority of 

 Mr. Thompson for saying they are very rare. In 

 the mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland 

 they regularly breed, though we hear their num- 

 bers are diminishing gradually. Mr. Heysham of 

 Carlisle, has given a good account of their habits 

 at this time,* and states, that they assemble in 

 their different localities, in the neighbourhood of 

 Carlisle, about the middle of May, where ^ they 

 continue for ten days or a fortnight before retiring 

 to mountains, in the vicinity of the lakes, to breed. 

 " The most favourite breeding haunts are always 

 near to, or on the summits of the highest moun- 

 tains, particularly those that are densely covered 

 with the woolly frieze moss, Trichostomum lanu- 

 ginosum. They do not make any nest, but deposit 

 their eggs, which seldom exceed three in number, 

 * See Yarrell, ii. p. 393, et seq. 



