260 THE RING DOTTEREL. CHAP. xm. 



entirely different set of birds now began to make their 

 appearance. You could now hear the shrill whistle 

 of the Redshank, the bright carol of the Lark, the 

 wire-like call of the Dunlin, the melancholy note of 

 the Wagtail, the boom of the Snipe, and the pleasant 

 peewit of the Lapwing. There were also the Black- 

 headed Bunting, the Ring Dotterel, the Wheatear, the 

 Meadow Pipit, the Reed Warbler, the Rose Linnet, the 

 Twite, the Red-shank, the Black-headed Gull, and the 

 Arctic Tern, which bred in suitable localities round 

 the loch. Among the remaining birds, were several 

 specimens of the Skua, Coots, Water-hens, Swifts, and 

 several kinds of Swallows. The Whimbrel, Green- 

 shank, Water-Rail, Pied Wagtail, Roseate Tern, and 

 Water Ouzel, also frequented the neighbourhood of 

 the loch, but did not breed there. 



In an account of The Birds of Strathbeg," which 

 Edward afterwards published in the Naturalist, he 

 mentioned the curious manner in which the Ring 

 Dotterel contrives to divert attention from her nest. 



While strolling along the sands in the month of 

 July, a friend who was with him fired at a Tern. 

 Without knowing- what he had fired at, Edward saw 

 a Ring Dotterel before him, which, he thought, must 

 be the bird. It was lame, and dragging its wing 

 behind it as if it had been sorely wounded. It lay 

 down, as if dead. Edward came up, and put his 

 hand down to secure it. The bird rose and flew 

 away. Then it dropped again, hobbled and tottered 



