O F B I R D S. 329 



The neck is fhort, and the body (lender. The ground-colour of 

 the bread and of the upper plumage is black, variegated with 

 yellowim-green ipots. The belly is white. The legs are black, 

 long, flender, and naked for a fmall fpace above the knees. It 

 wants the back-toe, 



28. The Dotterel (f), a migratory bird, exceedingly coveted by 

 fportfmen for the table, is an annual vifitant in the fpring, about 

 the middle of April. It is of the fize of a fong-thrum. The 

 beak is an inch long, ftraight, and black. The head is elegantly 

 variegated with black and white fpots, with a white line above 

 the eyes. The neck and back are cinereous ; the wings and 

 breaft of a yellowilh-red, the belly white, the rump grey. The 

 tail is cinereous, marginated with white, compofed of twelve 

 feathers. The legs are naked for a fmall fpace above the knee, 

 of a greenifh-yellow ; the claws black. It has no back-toe. It 

 feeds, gregatim^ upon beetles, and other infects. The bird here 

 defcribed was fhot on the common between Presfen and Carham, 

 near a large morafs, much frequented by fen-birds. Moft of the 

 commons on Tweed-fade have its company, particularly thofe of 

 Carbarn and Heton. 



29. The Land-Rail, Corn-Crake^ or Daker-Hen (g), is frequent in 

 our vale-meadows. It is of a flender comprefTed mape, and of 



(f) Morinellus. Cbarlet. Av. p. 3. n. I. 



Charadrius petStore ferrugeneo ; linea alba tranfverfa collum pe&ufque diftinguente. Linn. 

 Faun. Suec. p. 58. n. 158. 



See Dr. M. Lifter's Letter to Mr. Ray. Ph. Tr. No. 175. 



(g ) Crex Ariftotelis. Turn. Av. Charlet. Av. p. 3. n. 3. 



Ortygometra ALDR. Will. Orn. p. 522. t. 29. Raj. Av, 5?. Ortygometra alis rufo- 

 ferrugineis. Linn. Faun. Suec. p. 59. n. 162. 



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