84 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
Dotterel from the ocean shore, and then they do 
not go farther inland than half a mile or so. On a 
dried salt-marsh not far west of Barwon Heads, on 
May 5th, 1 91 2, I saw about forty of these birds 
in small flocks, the largest numbering fifteen indivi- 
duals. Many of the males were in full plumage. 
It has been stated that the males lose their black 
hoods in winter, but, so far as my experience goes, it 
is not so. 
BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL 
Elseya melanops melanops 
We saw that the Red-capped Dotterel frequents salt 
areas of broken shell, the Hooded Dotterel the ocean 
beach. This third species of resident Dotterel, the 
smallest of the three, has an equally well-defined 
range. Its home is at the side of inland fresh-water 
rivers, ponds, or lakes, and you will never find it near 
the sea-coast unless there is a lake of fresh water in 
the vicinity. It is a curious fact that the haunts 
of our three local species of Dotterel should not 
overlap, and it makes it much easier to identify the 
species in that one can know exactly where to look 
for each. A band of black across the breast serves 
further to differentiate the male of this from the two 
other species in the field. 
The fresh-water streams with occasional wide strips 
of gravelly shingle along their course, and fresh-water 
