THE COMMON DOTTEREL. 233 



been trying for years to shoot one, but had never 

 yet seen a single specimen in its wild state. 

 " When I was a young man," said he, " Pennant 

 made me the same complaint, and suggested that, 

 in place of being called common, the bird deserved 

 the title of the uncommon dotterel." Soon after- 

 wards this clergyman procured and forwarded a 

 specimen to Pennant. And now comes the re- 

 markable part of the story. For thirty years he 

 never met the great naturalist, who had been 

 totally blind for some time. After this long 

 interval, happening to be in the old man's com- 

 pany, he walked up to him and said, " I suppose 

 I need hardly hope you will remember me, Mr 

 Pennant ? " The blind man thought for a mo- 

 ment, and then called out with sudden eagerness, 

 " Ah ! my friend of the dotterel ! " 



The usual time of the dotterel's arrival is from 

 the 9th to the 14th of May, and they remain 

 about ten days or a fortnight on their first ground 

 before separating for the higher breeding-places. 

 The nest is most difficult to find, and a dotterel's 

 egg is therefore a great prize to the collector. 

 They come to this country in " trips" of from five 



