174 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



cross country, and to follow mountain chains 

 rather than coast lines, in this country at any rate ; 

 and I have met with them migrating over the 

 Sussex Downs and the Peak of Derbyshire. 

 They appear always to journey in companies, and 

 to travel very quickly, especially in spring, to and 

 from their winter quarters in the Great Desert. 

 The Dotterel breeds in June, and makes its slight 

 nest among the mountain herbage. Here it lays 

 three very handsome eggs, grayish or olive-buff, 

 blotched and spotted with dark brown and gray. 

 It will thus be noted that the number of eggs 

 is abnormal for this group of birds (four being the 

 usual clutch), and the reason for this departure 

 from the rule is probably some very interesting 

 feature in the bird's economy yet undiscovered. 

 Another remarkable circumstance is the fact that 

 the cock-bird, being smaller and of duller plumage 

 than the hen, hatches the eggs and rears the 

 young ! Dotterels are not very noisy birds, but 

 in the breeding season the male soars and trills, 

 and the usual call-note between the sexes is a 

 low, soft, and prolonged dute, sometimes modu- 

 lated into ditrr-dute or durr. Like the Ringed 

 Plover, the Dotterel is the essence of wanness at 

 the nest, and will tire out all but the most per- 

 sistent patience before it will venture near its 

 treasure when conscious that it is being watched. 

 Insects, worms, and grubs, and the tender shoots 

 of mountain herbage form the food of this bird. 

 The Dotterel has the upper parts except the 

 head which is black grayish brown ; the chin, 

 upper throat, and long eyestripes are white ; the 

 breast is chestnut, the belly black. 



Although scarcely a bird of the mountain-tops, 



