DOTTEREL. 457 



breeding ground has been supplied by T. C. Hey sham, 

 Esq. of Carlisle, from which the following is an extract : 

 " I will now narrate," says this gentleman, " as suc- 

 cinctly as possible, what has fallen under my own obser- 

 vation relative to the habits and economy of this bird. In 

 the neighbourhood of Carlisle, Dotterels ' seldom make 

 their appearance before the middle of May, about which 

 time they are occasionally seen in different localities, in 

 flocks which vary in number from five to fifteen, and al- 

 most invariably resort to heaths, barren pastures, fallow 

 grounds, &c. in open and exposed situations, where they 

 continue, if unmolested, from ten days to a fortnight, and 

 then retire to the mountains in the vicinity of the lakes to 

 breed. The most favourite breeding-haunts of these birds 

 are always near to or on the summits of the highest moun- 

 tains, particularly those that are densely covered with the 

 woolly fringe-moss, Trichostomum lanuginosum, Hedw. 

 which indeed grows more or less profusely on nearly all the 

 most elevated parts of this alpine district.* In these 

 lonely places they constantly reside the whole of the breed- 

 ing-season, a considerable part of the time enveloped in 

 clouds, and almost daily drenched with rain or wetting 

 mists, so extremely prevalent in these dreary regions : and 

 there can be little doubt that it is owing to this peculiar 

 feature in their economy, that they have remained so long 

 in obscurity during the period of incubation. The Dot- 

 trel is by no means a solitary bird at this time, as a few 

 pairs usually associate together, and live, to all appearance, 

 in the greatest harmony. These birds do not make any 

 nest, but deposit their eggs, which seldom exceed three in 

 number, in a small cavity on dry ground covered with 



* " The favourite breeding-stations of the Dottrel are frequently called smittle 

 places, by some of the guides and anglers at Keswick." 



