PLOVERS 21 



The Dotterel is considered to be one of the 

 quickest flighting birds known. It arrives here 

 about the middle of April or the beginning of May, 

 has a very short rest on the South Dow^ns, and other 

 open places on the coast-line, then it dashes off to 

 its breeding stations. Naturally it is of a tame and 

 confiding disposition, and so it has been called 

 morinellus, the " little fool." If ever a beautiful bird 

 has been harried this one has, and I regret to write 

 that the persecution is still going on. This is because 

 the feathers are highly valued for dressing artificial 

 flies. Fifty years ago those who knew the nesting 

 haunts said that if this persecution went on specimens 

 would only be procured with the greatest difficulty. 

 All this has come to pass and more. Collectors have 

 been in some measure to blame for this. The Bird 

 Protection Act has been passed, I know, but I very 

 much doubt — so far as Dotterels are concerned — if 

 it ever reached 3055 feet above sea-level. Like the 

 Kite, this bird is valued for its feathers. Many a 

 bird has been killed for its tail feathers and for 

 nothing else, for fly-dressing. I .have seen those 

 glorious fabrications called salmon-flies, and have 

 been told that nothing but certain feathers from 

 certain birds could be used for making them ; but I 

 will leave that subject to those who know more 

 about the matter than I do. 



In i860 it was noticed that the Dotterels were 

 coming to us in decreasing numbers. If the same 

 persecution is going on elsewhere, in order to supply 

 fisTiing lures, we need not wonder at this. When 



