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DOTTEREL. 



DOTTEELL. DOTTEEEL PLOVEK. 



Charadrius morinellus, PENXANT. MONTAGU. 



TataricuS) LATHAM. 



" Sibiricus, GMELIN. 



Charadrius ? Morinellus A diminutive of 



Morio A fool or dotard. 



THIS species belongs to Europe, being found in Turkey, 

 Russia, Siberia, Lapland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and 

 Denmark; likewise in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and its 

 islands; Bohemia and Silesia; and in Holland, where it is rare. 

 It also appertains to Northern Asia, Persia, and Tartary, on 

 the vast Steppes of which country it is found in the vicinity 

 of the salt lakes and marshes of the desolate regions that 

 there exist. 



The Dotterel has acquired the character of being a foolish 

 bird, and hence its English name from the word to dote, to 

 be fond or foolish, and its Latin one from the word Morio, 

 a foolish fellow. The only folly, however, that, so far as I 

 can see, the bird is guilty of, is that of permitting the near 

 approach of man, and this on the ungracious principle of 

 believing every one to be a rogue until you know him 

 to be honest, is certainly the opposite of worldly wisdom. 

 For myself, nevertheless, much as I have suffered more than 

 once from acting on the contrary supposition, I still prefer a 

 more unsophisticated maxim. 



The bird was formerly supposed to imitate the actions of 

 the fowler, and so to fall into the trap, instead of providing 

 for its escape by a timely flight. Thus, Drayton, in his 

 Polyolbion 



'The Dotterel, which we think a very dainty dish, 

 Whose taking makes such sport as uo man more can wish, 



