206 
DOTTEREL. 
be taken as aberrant forms, as the systematist 
inclines. 
The Dotterel, Charadritjs morinellus. — 
Pluvier gingnud, Temm. — The Dotterel, or Dotterel 
Plover of British authors. — The Dotterel is a spring 
and summer visitant to Britain ; in the southern 
counties of England only seen in their passage to 
and from their breeding stations ; in the Lowlands 
of Scotland being occasionally found during a 
similar transition ; but, in a few localities, incu- 
bating on some of the mountain ranges of both 
countries. In Ireland, we have the authority of 
Mr. Thompson for saying they are very rare. In 
the mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland 
they regularly breed, though we hear their num- 
bers are diminishing gradually. Mr. Ileysham of 
Carlisle, has given a good account of their habits 
at this time,* and states, that they assemble in 
their different localities, in the neighbourhood of 
Carlisle, about the middle of May, where they 
continue for ten days or a fortnight before retiring 
to mountains, in the vicinity of the lakes, to breed. 
“ The most favourite breeding haunts are always 
near to, or on the summits of the highest moun- 
tains, particularly those that are densely covered 
with the woolly frieze moss, Trichostomum lanu- 
ginosum. They do not make any nest, but deposit 
their eggs, which seldom exceed three in number, 
* See Yarrell, ii. p. 393, et seq. 
