TEE DOTTEREL. 103 



entire flock has been secured in this way with little or no 

 trouble. 



The Dotterel runs and flies easily and with a quick 

 active movement, and is fond of dusting itself. The note 

 is soft and low, and has been compared to that of the 

 common^ linnet, while some naturalists have likened the 

 sounds to the words "durr/-" " droo.-*^ The bird beloiigsto 

 the Grallatorial family, and is much esteemed as an article 

 of delicate eating-. Large numbers of them used also to 

 be killed in the Lake districts for the sake of their wing 

 feathers, which are highly esteemed among anglers as 

 artificial fly-dressing. 



Before leaving this country Dotterels congregate in 

 large flocks, and remain thus together until their actual 

 departure, which usually occurs about September ; some, 

 however, have been known to remain until October. 



The beak of the Dotterel is short, nearly black ; the top 

 of the head and nape of the neck dark brown, bounded on 

 the sides and behind by a band of white ; ear-coverts, neck 

 and back, ash colour; scapulars, wing-coverts, and tertials, 

 ash-brown edged with buff; wing primaries ash-grey, the 

 first with a broad white shaft; taif greyish-brown, the 

 middle feathers tipped with dull white, and the outside 

 feathers with broad ends of pure white, front and sides of 

 neck ash-grey ; across the breast is a band of white, 

 margined above and below with a dark line ; breast is a 

 rich fawn colour, blending into chestnut ; belly, black ; 

 vent and under tail-coverts white tinged with buff; under- 

 neath the wings are greyish-white ; the legs and toes are 

 greenish-yellow, and the claws black. The bijxl measures 

 al>out nine and a half inches, and usually weighs about 

 four or five ounces. In the female the plumage is not so 



