50 
PLUVIALINiE. CHARADRIUS. 
169. Pluyialis Morinellus. Dotterel Plover. 
Bill slender, considerably shorter than the head ; inner 
secondaries extremely elongated. In winter, the top of the 
head dark brown, laterally margined with reddish -white ; 
upper parts greenish-brown, the feathers edged with pale red ; 
forehead and cheeks whitish, streaked with dusky ; fore-neck 
brownish-grey, a transverse band of white at its lower part ; 
breast brownish-red. In summer, the top of the head brown- 
ish-black, laterally margined with pure white, of which colour 
are the forehead and cheeks ; upper parts greyish-brown, the 
feathers edged with red ; fore-neck brownish-grey, a double 
transverse band, black and white, at its lower part ; breast 
bright red, part of abdomen black. Young with the tints 
more grey, the upper part of the head reddish, with longitu- 
dinal dusky spots ; the tail tipped with pale red. 
Male, 10, 19, 6±, ff, T V Female, 9J, 18j. 
The Dotterel makes its appearance in various parts of Eng- 
land and Scotland, when on its way northward in April and 
May, and on its return in September and October. Many re- 
main to breed, settling especially in the mountainous districts 
of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and in some parts of the 
Grampians. I have seen a very large dock, in September, 
near the head of the Don, in Aberdeenshire. Dr Heysham 
found it breeding on the summits of many of the mountains 
of Cumberland. It makes no nest, but deposits its eggs, 
generally three, seldom four in number, in a small cavity in 
a dry place, usually near a stone or fragment of rock. The 
eggs are brownish-yellow, spotted with brownish-black, an 
inch and two -thirds in length, an inch and two -twelfths in 
breadth. After the breeding season, the Dotterels collect 
into flocks, and betake themselves to the lower parts of the 
country. They are generally easily shot, being unsuspicious 
of danger, and allowing a person to walk within a short dis- 
tance, when they stretch up their wings and run before him. 
This apparent stupidity has obtained for them their verna- 
cular name. By the end of October they have all disap- 
peared. 
Charadrius Morinellus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 254. — Chara- 
drius Morinellus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 746. — Charadrius Mo- 
rinellus, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. ii. 537. — Pluvialis Morinel- 
lus, Dotterel Plover, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, iv. 
