304 LITTLE RINGED DOTTEREL. 



white forehead and eye-streak only being marked ; 

 the legs, feet, and bill, are black in all states. 



THE LITTLE RINGED DOTTEREL, CHARADRIUS 

 MINOR. Charadrius minor, Meyer. Petit pluvier a 

 collier, Temm. The Little Ringed Plover of British 

 authors. As a British bird, this interesting species 

 rests on a single specimen procured by Mr. Henry 

 Doubleday; it was taken at Shoreham in Sussex. 

 The habits of this Dotterel become interesting to 

 the ornithologist, as being somewhat at variance 

 with those of the two last, frequenting the banks of 

 rivers in preference to the coast ; but like the others, 

 it lays its eggs on the sand, without any attempt at 

 a nest.* From the very young state of Mr. Double- 

 day's specimen, it is conjectured that it may have 

 been bred in England, and if so, we may yet find 

 the species as an occasional visitant ; though, per- 

 haps, the character of the banks of the rivers is not 

 such as will suit its habits. On the continent it is 

 met with in several localities; in summer, so far 

 north as Sweden, f Messrs. Dickson and Ross sent 

 it from Erzeroom,J and it extends to Japan. 



We do not possess a specimen of this bird, and 

 borrow Mr. Yarrell's description: " In the adult 

 bird the beak is black ; the irides brown ; the fore- 

 head white, with a black patch above it, extending 

 to the eye on each side ; top of the head and occi- 



* TTcwit.son, Oology, quoting from Mr. Hoy. 



t Nil son. J Yarrell. Temminck. 



