THE DOTT’EREL. 
95 
for his gun^ and on his return killed three of them at a shot. One^ 
being eaten^ sufficed by its very delicate flavour to shov*^ that in 
this respect the dotterel is not estimated too highly. The others 
were preserved^ and have been kindly submitted to my inspection. 
The flock was seen only on the occasion mentioned. This is the 
only instance at present known to me of the dottereFs visiting 
Ireland on its spring passage northward ; and it is interesting to 
observe that in so doing it touched at the Ards, the most eastern 
part of the entire coast. 
Part of the eastern coast of Scotland is annually visited by 
dotterels on their vernal migration. An intelligent gamekeeper 
has informed me that when he was living, some years ago, in 
East Lothian, these birds made their appearance regularly every 
April at the time that lapwings'’ eggs are laid ; the date was not 
remembered. The ploughed or fallow ground between Dirleton 
and Giilan Links, and about half a mile to the north of the 
former place, v/as frequented by them in small flocks, like those 
of golden plover. About a hundred birds altogether would be 
seen in a day. He has killed six brace in a forenoon. They 
were never tame, but as ■^dld on all occasions as golden plover 
commonly are. They remained only three or four days, but (as 
he remarks) his persecution may have driven them off earlier than 
they would otherwise have gone. A pair of dotterel, taken in the 
Lammermuir hills in Alay 1818, were kindly sent to me by Wil- 
liam Smellie Watson, Esq. of Edinburgh. 
The statement lately published in the Historia Haturalis Or- 
cadensis (1848), that this bird makes its appearance in September 
and October, remains during winter, and leaves in spring for more 
northern regions, p. 58, is very remarkable; the dotterel having 
always (so far as I am aware) been considered only a summer 
visitant to any portion of the British Islands. 
