The Dunlin. 123 



breed on and near the Cheviots most certainly. In Scotland they nest in most 

 suitable localities, especially on the islands; in Ireland only in the north. 



Description of adult in summer : bill black ; iris dark umber ; upper parts 

 generally rufous, mingled with creamy-white, each feather with a black centre, 

 which is not conspicuously shewn in the feathers of the back and tertiaries ; no 

 rufous on the back of the neck ; wings grey-brown, with light grey margins to 

 the feathers and a good deal of white on the secondaries ; chin white ; sides of 

 head, neck, and upper breast, white, spotted and streaked longitudinally with 

 black, most boldly on the breast; rest of under parts white, with a large black 

 gorget on the lower breast, somewhat in the form of a horse-shoe; a few black 

 streaks on the flanks ; tail grey, the two central feathers browner and darker than 

 the rest; feet and legs black. Length 6^- 7 J inches, closed wing 4i-4f. 



In winter plumage the upper parts are without a trace of the summer rufous, 

 and are light brownish- grey, with rather darker centres to the feathers ; wings as 

 in summer; under parts white, with a grey tinge on the sides of the neck and 

 breast, the feathers of these parts having dark bases which shew very little, unless 

 rumpled. 



Young birds in autumn have the upper parts somewhat like the adults in 

 summer, but the red is less intense, and the buffy-rufous and creamy-white 

 margins to the feathers, being new and of maximum length, overpower the dark 

 centres of the feathers to a greater extent. The sides of the neck and breast 

 have a rusty tinge, and are streaked obscurely with black ; rest of under parts 

 white, streaked and spotted with black. 



Nestling : rufous above, grey- white below ; three longitudinal black streaks 

 on the crown, which meet behind and vanish, to reappear on the back. Legs 

 and feet dusky yellow-brown. 



N.B. — There is a small bright- coloured race of Dunlins, which has been 

 described by Brehm (who was fond of describing) as T. schinzii, a name which 

 Bonaparte had previously given to the next species. They shew a slight difference 

 from the normal Dunlin in their habits, seldom being found in large flocks, but 

 singly or in pairs, and frequenting by preference the salt or brackish drains and 

 ditches on the flatter parts of the coast. This smaller race is usually considered 

 the southern form, but I have an example from Iceland. There are similar races,, 

 as has been mentioned, of the Ringed Plover. 



The Dunlin breeds with us, usually, in mountain marshes, but, like many 

 other birds, the further we get towards the Pole, the lower the average elevation 

 of the nest; so that birds which, with us, nest on high fell tops (as the Golden 

 Plover and Dotterel) in the far north, are found breeding on low grassy flats only- 



