THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
and were probing the soft sand and mud with their bills, as the tide went out. 
One was shot, which was dull in colour with no definite banding, as in the 
breeding season.” 
Mr. Charles Belcher of Victoria sends me the following : “ Though this 
bird has never been known with certainty to breed in Australia, I have little 
doubt that in some cases it does so. Flocks make their appearance in the 
Geelong district in April and leave again early in October, but stragglers may 
be seen much later near the Breakwater on the Barwon River. There is an 
open grassy flat used as a training course, to which these birds repair to the 
number of some hundreds every autumn ; it is an unlikely looking spot for 
waders, but the Dottrel never fail to appear there after the Easter rains. 
Another locaUty which they favour is the Samphire Marshes at the Geelong 
Salt-works, where they associate with other visiting Liinicoline birds. Once 
I saw three or four on the ocean beach at Torquay.” 
Mr. Tom Iredale writes : “ This species has inherited the well-known 
mannerisms often recorded about other species of the family Charadriidce 
when its nest is in danger. 
“ On the Rakaia river bed my friend Mr. W. R. Brook Oliver and myself 
spent some half hour over a couple of birds. The nest was upon a square patch 
of gravel and whenever we approached a certain place a heartbroken cry 
would be heard, and looking towards the place whence it issued, a wounded 
bird in a pitiful heap would be seen. Upon approach it would flutter and 
drag itself away until it thought safety of its young had been achieved and then 
its wounds were healed and it would fly pipmg away. This happened many 
times. Once it flew close to us and then dropped in a heap just as if it had 
been shot. That nest was not found. In December two nests were found 
among the seawrack of the highest tide on the Waipara beach. These each 
contained two fresh eggs, and as flying young were commonly noted, there 
can be Httle doubt these were second broods.” 
Mr. Tom Carter says he noted this species at Devonport, Tasmania, on 
February 14th, 1909. 
Mr. Stuart Dove* writes : “ It may interest you to know that I have 
seen the double-banded Dottrel several times this spring on our beaches, 
although it is supposed to go to Southern New Zealand to breed. A pair was 
observed on 15th September, and on 30th December two pairs were seen in 
company with the Red-capped species, which is always here.” 
Leggef records : “ This Dottrel is apparently migrating to this colony. 
It appears in March, remaining tfll July, and perhaps later ; and at the time 
* Littler, Handb. Birds Tasm., p. 130, 1910. 
f Pap. Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasm. 1887, p. 94, 1888. 
88 
