211 



Family CHAKADRIID^]. 



DOTTEREL. Eudromias morinellus (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, pi. 

 43; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pi. 526 ; Lilford, 

 ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 8 ; Booth, ' Bough Notes,' 

 vol. iii, pi. 14. 



Within the past half century the Dotterel has become 

 greatly diminished in numbers as a British bird : nowadays 

 visitations of large flocks are unknown. The gunner has 

 sensibly contributed to the thinning out of the numbers, 

 an easily accomplished feat, seeing that the Dotterel is 

 little heedful of danger. So tame even stupid is this 

 bird that it can be approached on an open field within 

 easy gun-shot range, and when assembled into flocks, large 

 numbers can be killed with a few shots. Owing to the 

 palatable nature of its flesh, as well as to its handsome 

 plumage, it has become a special victim to gun and net. 



Grass-covered fields, stubbles, and rough uncultivated 

 commons are its favourite resorts ; it also occurs about the 

 sand-hills and mud-flats of our coasts. The Dotterel is a 

 summer-visitor to Britain, making its appearance about the 

 end of April and departing early in September. 



On migration it is distributed on both sides of the 

 English coast, though very local in its breeding-resorts. 

 It is rare along the western sea-board of Scotland, including 

 the Hebrides, and in Wales and Ireland it is seldom 

 obtained. In the latter country, Mr. Ussher mentions 

 twelve occurrences which, with the exception of one, took 

 place during the autumn migration The following counties 

 have been visited : Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Down, 

 Antrim, Londonderry, and Donegal. The most recent 

 record is that of a bird obtained on November 30th, 1905, 



