40 VARIETIES OF SHOOTING. 



are deposited in a small depression of the ground lined with 

 a few bents of grass, <fcc., about the end of May or beginning 

 of June, and chiefly in the northern counties and on the 

 moors and hills of Scotland. The young soon quit the nest, 

 and are carefully watched by both old birds, feeding on 

 worms, slugs, and insects. In autumn they associate in 

 flocks, and go southwards in company, when they are found 

 in heaths, downs, and large open fields, especially near the 

 sea-shore. They are excellently flavoured, and are considered 

 a great delicacy. 



The DOTTEREL (Charadrius morinellus) appears in the 

 south-eastern counties of England towards the end of April, 

 and is very rarely found in Ireland, still more rarely in the 

 west of England. At the end of ten days or a fortnight, 

 many of them go north to breed on the high grounds of 

 Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, the border counties, and 

 Scotland. The adult bird in its summer plumage has the 

 beak nearly black ; iris brown ; top of the head and neck 

 very dark brown, bounded behind by a band of very pure 

 white ; ear coverts, neck, and back ash colour ; scapulars, 

 wing coverts, and tertials ash coloured, edged with buff; 

 wing primaries ash grey, the first having a broad white shaft ; 

 tail feathers greyish brown, those in the middle tipped with 

 dull white, the three outside feathers with broad ends of 

 pure white ; chin and sides of the neck white ; the front and 

 sides of the neck below ash grey ; from shoulder to shoulder 

 across the breast is a band of white, margined above and 

 below with a dark line ; breast rich fawn colour, passing to 

 chesrmt ; belly black ; vent and under tail coverts white, 

 tinged with buff; under wing coverts and axillary plume 

 greyish white \ legs and toes greenish yellow ; claws black ; 

 length nine inches and a half. The flesh of the dotterel is 

 very highly prized, and is in great request among the London 

 poulterers in the spring. They are easily shot or netted, not 

 being at all afraid of the presence of man. They feed on 

 slugs, worms, and insects, and when not breeding, they fre- 

 quent open fallows, especially those near downs. 



The GREY PLOVER (Squatarola Helvetica), called likewise 

 the GREY SANDPIPER, resembles the golden plover in many 

 respects, but may be distinguished from that bird by the 



