CHAPTER XVII, 



SHOOTING THE DOTTEREL, THE RUFF AND 

 REEVE, THE GREBE, THE CURLEW, THE 

 COOT, THE OXBIRD, THE REDWING, THE 

 FIELDFARE, AND THE LARK. 



THE DOTTEREL. 



This is one of the few British birds with which 

 fable has been busy. It is taken, runs the story, 

 by means of an unhappy propensity that of mimick- 

 ing the spectator, be his attitude what it may ; and 

 thus it remains till the net of the fowler is thrown 

 over it. At present it is shot as its congeners are ; 

 and this is not a difficult matter when it can be met 

 with. The chief resorts of the dotterel are the fens 

 of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. 



THE RUFF AND REEVE. 



These eccentrics are natives of our fens, but 

 partially confining themselves to the districts of Cam- 



