Dotterel 383 



they are rarely to be met with, and though scarcely a year 

 passes without a notice of the capture of one or more on some 

 portion of our downs, it is but an accidental straggler, which has 

 wandered out of its way. My good friend, Rev. W. C. Lukis, 

 chanced to see such an one, as he was driving with the Rector 

 of Manningford Bruce, between Upavon and Enford in May, 

 1857 ; it was close to the roadside, standing on a clod of earth, 

 all alone in its glory, and did not care to move out of the. way. 

 My own specimen, now in my collection, was shot on the 

 Lavington downs. It came to me in the flesh in 1841, and 

 is one of the few Wiltshire birds of my own preparation and 

 mounting, handled in those early days, which has survived to 

 the present time. Lord Nelson possesses a specimen killed at 

 Trafalgar. Lord Heytesbury, on the authority of Lis keeper, 

 reports that they are often on the downs in that neighbourhood ; 

 but Mr. G. Watson Taylor says that though often seen in former 

 years on the downs above Erlestoke, none have been observed 

 there of late. The late Mr. Withers had many pass through 

 his hands for preservation ; and indeed everybody conversant 

 with our Wiltshire birds will know something of its occurrence. 



Mr. Morres speaks of them as not uncommon on the downs 

 near Salisbury some years since, though now seldom seen, and 

 mentions a trip* of three as observed in the spring at Stockton 

 in 1873. Mr. Baker writes me word that an immature specimen 

 was killed at Fonthill on October 1st, 1876, and that others were 

 seen by him on two or three occasions on Mere Down, the last 

 on March 7th, 1881. However, of quite recent date, the Rev. 

 T. N. Hart Smith, President of the Marlborough College Natural 

 History Society, tells me that in their museum are two specimens 

 which were shot on the Kennet two years ago. Mr. Gwatkin 

 records a Dotterel taken at Tilshead in the spring of last year 

 {1886). The Rev. W. H. Awdry saw a trip of Dotterel near 



* A small flock of dotterel is known as a trip; and it is worthy of obser- 

 vation how various are the terms applied to the several species when in com- 

 pany : Thus we have a, cast of hawks, a flock of sparrows, a flight of starlings 

 or pigeons, a dule of doves, a nid of pheasants, a covey of partridges, a bevy 

 of quail, a brood of grouse, & flight of woodcocks, a wisp of snipe, a wing of 



