THE DOTTEREL. 95 



for his gun, and on his return killed three of them at a shot. One, 

 being eaten, sufficed by its very delicate flavour to show that in 

 this respect the dotterel is not estimated too highly. The others 

 were preserved, and have been kindly submitted to my inspection. 

 The flock was seen only on the occasion mentioned. This is the 

 only instance at present known to me of the dotterel's visiting 

 Ireland on its spring passage northward ; and it is interesting to 

 observe that in so doing it touched at the Ards, the most eastern 

 part of the entire coast. 



Part of the eastern coast of Scotland is annually visited by 

 dotterels on their vernal migration. An intelligent gamekeeper 

 has informed me that when he was living, some years ago, in 

 East Lothian, these birds made their appearance regularly every 

 April at the time that lapwings' eggs are laid ; the date was not 

 remembered. The ploughed or fallow ground between Dirleton 

 and Gulan Links, and about half a mile to the north of the 

 former place, was frequented by them in small flocks, like those 

 of golden plover. About a hundred birds altogether would be 

 seen in a day. He has killed six brace in a forenoon. They 

 were never tame, but as wild on all occasions as golden plover 

 commonly are. They remained only three or four days, but (as 

 he remarks) his persecution may have driven them off earlier than 

 they would otherwise have gone. A pair of dotterel, taken in the 

 Lammermuir hills in May 1848, were kindly sent to me by Wil- 

 liam Smellie Watson, Esq. of Edinburgh. 



The statement lately published in the Historia Naturalis Or- 

 cadensis'(1848), that this bird makes its appearance in September 

 and October, remains during winter, and leaves in spring for more 

 northern regions, p. 58, is very remarkable; the dotterel having 

 always (so far as I am aware) been considered only a summer 

 visitant to any portion of the British Islands. 



