1284 The Zoologist— July, 1868. 



gently fanning their wings, as if to dry them. Others again will be 

 seen standing perfectly motionless on one leg, the other foot dangling 

 from the body, the head thrown back between the shoulders. The 

 whimbrel remained with us to the 27th of May : on the 29lh they had 

 all left the district; on this day I saw a single pair on the "flats" — 

 sole remnant of the large flocks seen on the 27th. 



Dotterel. — An old gamekeeper, well acquainted with these birds, 

 reports seeing a " trip " in the marshes on Sunday, the 26th of April, 

 numbering about twenty birds. On the 4th, 5th and 6th of May 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney and I walked for many miles over the H umber 

 marshes in search of dotterel, without, however, seeing any. On the 

 19th a single bird alighted within ten yards of one of my labourers; 

 and another, probably the same bird, was fired at by a brick-maker 

 near the same place on the 23rd. Dotterel arrive in Lincolnshire 

 about the last week in April, remaining for some days on the hills in 

 the wold district before going down into the marshes, where we usually 

 see them during the first week in May. 



Gray Plover. — Like the dotterel these birds have been very scarce, 

 the largest flock seen by me during the month numbering nine birds. 

 First seen on the flats on the 4th of May ; last observed on the 26th, 

 when I examined through the telescope a small party of seven, two of 

 them mature birds — splendid fellows in full summer dress. 



Reeve. — May 20. To-day, when riding in the marshes, I noticed 

 eight birds, like large sandpipers, feeding in a fifty-acre grass field 

 adjoining the lluuiber. Two hours afterwards, on returning with my 

 gun, found them still feeding within a short distance of the same 

 place : while thus engaged they walked very close to the ground, not 

 nulike knots, but when on the alert stood considerably higher than 

 these birds do. My only chance of a shot was to walk up the drain : 

 the noise made in doing so probably alarmed them, as they rose out of 

 shot, going away in close order, at a great pace, and silently. 1 was 

 afraid they would leave the field; fortunately, however, they turned, 

 now coming directly towards me, but again changed their line of 

 flight, going towards the H umber, giving me the chance of a long 

 cross-shot: having a green cartridge in the left-hand barrel of my 

 breech-loader, 1 fired well ahead of the flock, and with effect, one 

 bird falling dead and another winged; the remainder, now reduced to 

 six, going in a direction across the Humber. As they crossed the 

 embankment 1 was sorry to see another bird leave the rest and pitch 

 downwards towards the flats: this bird I did not fiud : a labourer who 



