A FOOLISH BIRD. 
95 
apparent stupidity lias gained for tliem their common name, 
Dotterel — a foolisli bird. Johnson says that the word 
comes from Dote^ and signifies a bird that assumes gestures, 
quoting a passage from Bacon to illustrate this meaning : — 
* Yf e see how ready asses and monkeys are to imitate the 
motions of men, and in catching of Dotterels we see how 
the foolish brood playeth the ape in gestures.' The old 
dramatists allude to this habit of the bird, and make its 
name synonymous with that of a fool ; thus, Ben Jonson 
makes one of his characters say — 
"We hare another leg strained for this Dottrel, 
and hence Fitz-dottrel is the name given to the person 
alluded to, because he falls so entirely into the snares that 
are laid for him ; and, again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's 
* Scornful Lady,' we find — 
Lady. — I thank you, fine fool, for your most fine plot : 
This was a subtle one, a stiff derice 
To have caught Dottrels with. 
These birds are sometimes called J/o 77/2 e/Z/, which signifies, 
like their more common appellative, little fools : it has 
been said that by stupidly looking on and imitating the 
actions of the fowler, they have suffered themselves to be 
drawn into the net. T. C. Ileysham, Esq., who seems to 
have closely observed their habits, says : — * On the 3rd of 
July, we found three or four flocks near the short elevated 
part of this mountain (Robinson, in the Vicinity of Butter- 
mere), and on all our visits, whether early in the morning 
or h^te in the afternoon, the greater part were always seen 
near the same place, sitting on the ground. When first 
discovered they permitted us to approach within a short 
distance without showing any symptoms of alarm, and 
frequently afterwards, when within a few paces, watching 
their movements, some would move slowly about, and pick 
up an insect, others would remain motionless, now and 
then stretching out their wings ; and a few would occa- 
sionally toy with each other, at the same time emitting a 
few low notes, which had some resemblance to those of 
the common Linnet. In short, they appeared to be so very 
indifferent with regard to our presence, that, at last, my 
