DOTTEREL 
birds, is extremely well adapted for concealing 
them among their stony surroundings, and the 
young instinctively squat absolutely flat and 
motionless upon the ground, with their long necks 
stretched out in front in the attitude sometimes 
adopted by the old birds. Stone Curlews are 
silent birds by day, but after nightfall they some- 
times make a great noise with their curious, twist- 
ing whistle, especially on moonlight nights. They 
chiefly feed on worms, slugs, and similar small 
forms of animal life, probably including the small 
shell-snails which are very common on the chalky 
downs, and also on night-flying moths and beetles. 
Their large eyes are explained by these night- 
feeding habits. 
DOTTEREL. 
(^Eudromias morinellus,') 
The Dotterel is one of the smaller kinds of 
Plover, and is now very rare as a breeding species 
in this country, only nesting on some of the higher 
Scotch mountains, and in very small numbers upon 
those of the English Lake District. It has suffered 
much from its tame and confiding habits, which 
have given it the additional contemptuous title of 
" Foolish " Dotterel, as well, probably, as its own 
