THE DOTTEREL. 16l 



Singular in manners Simplicity. 



black ; and the rest of the belly and the thighs 

 are of a reddish white. The tail is olive brown, 

 black near the end, and tipped with white ; and 

 the outer feathers are margined with white. 

 The legs are of a dark olive* The colours of the 

 female are less vividi 



These are migratory birds: appearing in flocks 

 of eight or ten, about the end of April; and 

 staying all May and June, when they become 

 very fat, and are much esteemed for the table. 

 They are found in tolerable plenty in Cam- 

 bridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire; but 

 in other parts of the kingdom they are scarcely 

 known. They are supposed to breed among the 

 mountains of Westmoreland and Cumberland. 



The dotterel is not only a very singular bird 

 in its manner, but also very foolish, as it may be 

 taken by the most simple artifice. The country 

 people are said sometimes to go in quest of it, 

 in the night, with a lighted torch or candle: and 

 the bird, on these occasions, will mimic the ac- 

 tions of the fowler with great archness. When 

 he stretches out an arm, it stretches out its wing; 

 if he move a foot, it moves one also ; and every 

 other motion it endeavours to imitate. This is 

 the opportunity that the fowler takes of entang- 

 ling it in his net. Willoughby, however, cites 

 the following case : " Six or seven persons 

 usually went in company to catch dotterels. 

 When they found the bird, they set their nets in 



VOL. iv. NO. '26. x 



