84 SCOLOPACIDJL 



This place seemed a general rendezvous, and after a few 

 weeks the host broke up and dispersed, few, if any, remain- 

 ing during the winter." Of this bird in Sutherlandshire, 

 Mr. Selby says, " we found it abundant upon the margins 

 of all the lochs. The nest is usually placed under the shelter 

 of some tuft or bush, removed a short distance from the 

 usual water-line of the loch." Mr. Salmon, in reference to 

 Orkney, says, " this little bird we found in abundance in 

 almost every island, associating with the Snipe ; and their 

 nests, like those of the Snipes, were placed upon the 

 ground, among the long grass and heather, and invariably 

 contained four eggs, which were much smaller than those of 

 the Snipe, although similar as to colour. The birds ap- 

 peared to sit very close, and suffered us to approach very 

 near their nests before they attempted to fly ; in two 

 instances I took them off their eggs. After they have been 

 disturbed, they make every effort to decoy you from their 

 nests, by pretending to be lame, &c. Both the male and 

 female have a black patch upon their breasts ; in the 

 former, rather darker than in the latter, otherwise we could 

 not perceive any difference in colour between the sexes." 



Mr. Dunn says, " The Dunlin is plentiful in the Shetland 

 Isles, but that their nests are very difficult to find. I have 

 had the bird rise from close under my feet in the breeding 

 season, and resort to every trick to draw my attention 

 towards itself, thereby the more plainly convincing me that 

 the nest was close to me, and yet I have been unsuccessful 

 in my search, so secretly do they make it. If, when only 

 slightly wounded, the Dunlin should fall on the water it can 

 readily raise itself and fly off." 



The eggs are greenish white, blotched and spotted with 

 two shades of dark red brown ; they measure one inch four 

 lines and a half in length, and eleven lines and a half in 

 breadth. 



