244 THE DOTTEEEL. 



titles. Although, however, we mention their mari- 

 time resorts, as the most usual stations of these birds, 

 they are, by no means, their only ones. Along the 

 shores of rivers they are occasionally found to breed ; 

 choosing the loose pebbly ground for that purpose, or 

 the sand-beds of the water-courses. They often occur 

 inland ten, fifteen, or twenty miles distance from 

 the sea-coasts ; more especially in several of the 

 eastern counties of England. Like the common dot- 

 terel, they often exhibit extreme fear at the approach 

 of strangers, using every bird-like artifice to relieve 

 their broods from the unwelcome intruder. Their 

 eggs are few, of a greenish ash colour. We subjoin a 

 description of the plumage of this noisy, numerous, 

 and pretty class of the genus Charadrius. The chief 

 peculiarity is a chin and collar of pure white encir- 

 cling the neck, followed by one of black, passing into 

 the brown of the upper parts of the plumage. The 

 lower parts are a clean white ; some portions of the 

 wings are grey brown ; others, clove brown ; and tips 

 of quills and secondaries white ; the tail brown, with 

 a clouded band ; the bill yellow, with a black tip ; the 

 legs yellow. We have remarked many slight varieties 

 of tintings, especially during the gayer season of 

 incubation. 



The Little Ringed Dotterel (Gharadrius minor). 

 The Little Ringed Plover of British authors. 



Mr. Yarrell describes this rare bird as an occa- 

 sional guest in our island, although we cannot but 



deem it is often shot without remark. Jardine says : 



. . i/ 



