n8 OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



over eye. Collar white ; upper parts hair-brown. 

 Outer tail-feathers white ; others tipped with white ; 

 under parts white. Bill black at tip, yellow towards 

 base. Stilt-like legs and feet orange. Length 7! in. 

 Female less black gorget, and generally duller. Young : 

 dusky brown in place of black areas ; no black band 

 on forehead ; legs pale yellow. Nestling covered with 

 down, mottled with fawn and brown. 



Language. A plaintive piping like " pooree." 



Habits. Sociable, even in breeding season. Runs 

 with great celerity over the pebbles of the shore. Flight 

 swift. Not particularly timid, and when the nest is 

 approached the parents are most solicitous, and often 

 feign injury. 



Food. Insects, worms, shrimps, sandhoppers, &c. 



Nest. May onwards. Two broods. 



Site. On the beach, not far above high-water mark. 



Materials. If any, a few grasses ; usually the slight 

 cavity is lined with small pebbles and broken shells. 



Eggs. Four. Pale stone-, clay-, or cream-colour, 

 neatly spotted with dark brown and grey ; pyriform 

 shape, disposed in cavity diagonally, i.e., with the small 

 ends all pointing towards the centre, like the other 

 Plovers'. 



DUNLIN (Tringa alpina}. 



Resident, but reinforced by considerable numbers of 

 migrants in autumn and spring. Breeds in considerable 

 numbers in the mountainous districts of the North, also 

 in Cornwall, Wales, south-western counties, Lancashire 

 and Yorkshire. 



Haunts. Shores and tidal rivers when not breeding. 



Plumage. Crown of head rufous brown, streaked with 

 black. Mantle chestnut, marked with black. Upper 

 parts ash-grey. Throat and fore-chest greyish white, 

 streaked with black. Lower breast black. Belly white. 

 Bill rather long and black. Legs and feet black. Length 



