what drawn out. This is generally uttered as he alights on the ground near 

 his mate, and is usually accompanied by an elevating of the wings. 



The Dunlin does not breed inland in such numbers as it does near the 

 coast, except in suitable localities near some loch, or where the tidal rivers 

 attract them. May is the month when most of the birds lay. The nest is 

 very difficult to find, as it is so well concealed, but after one has seen three 

 or four nests, it is easy to locate the sort of ground in which one may expect 

 to find them. The site chosen is generally the middle of a tuft of grass, and 

 numbers of nests may be found in close proximity in patches of that short 

 curly grass which is found on marshy places among the sandy hillocks near 

 the shore. The nest is a mere depression in the centre of a tuft of grass, 

 scantily lined with a little dry grass, a few rootlets, and a little moss. 



Four eggs are laid, placed in the nest in the manner peculiar to all the 

 waders ; they are subject to considerable variation in colour, and are usually 

 very beautiful. The ground-colour varies from a beautiful pale green to a 

 pale brown or buff, richly blotched, clouded, spotted, or streaked with various 

 shades of rich reddish brown to dark brown or nearly black ; underlying spots 

 are indistinct and of a grey colour. On some specimens the markings are 

 small and evenly distributed over the entire surface, on others they are large, 

 and many of them confluent, forming irregular blotches of colour, chiefly on the 

 large end of the egg. On many specimens they take the form of streaks lying 

 obliquely to the longer axis of the egg : these are usually much the handsomest 

 varieties. They vary in length from 1-41 to 1*20 inch, and in breadth from 

 ro to '89 inch. 



Young in down are most beautiful little creatures ; they have the 

 upper parts a rich reddish brown, sprinkled with little bright buff-coloured 

 spots, and mottled with velvety black ; the under parts are buffish white. The 

 bill, legs, feet, and claws are black. The young in first plumage are also very 

 beautiful, but they are so well described in many well-known ornithological 

 books that they do not require notice here. 



The great southward migration of Dunlins takes place in September, and 

 during that month huge flocks of these little waders may be seen on most 

 of our low-lying coasts. 



154 



