HOODED DOTTEREL. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male but smaller. 
Gould, Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 232 , wrote : “ The female differs from the 
male in having the crown mottled with black and white, the face and throat 
white, and in having only a narrow line of black at the base of the neck behind ; ” 
and Sharpe, in Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXIV., p. 302 , wrote : “ Similar 
to the male in colour,” and then quoted Gould’s statement, but without 
comment. 
Littler, Handh. Birds Tasm., p, 133 , wrote : “ Female — ^Resembles the male save 
that the head is mottled with white.” 
I find the male and female to be ahke in coloration. 
Immature. Differs from the adult in the entire absence of black on the head and throat, 
the former being greyish-brovm while the latter, as also the forehead, is white ; the 
black of the upper-surface, in the adult, is here indicated by dark brown feathers ; 
the dark patch on the sides of the breast, much the same as in the adult ; secondaries 
white with broad subterminal band of brown ; throat pure white ; brown patch 
on the side of the breast. 
Nestling. Upper-surface pale buff, vermiculated with dark brown ; tail black ; forehead 
more sparsely marked than the back ; a black nuchal band ; cheeks, chin, throat, 
and entire under-surface white, including the under tail-coverts and the under- 
wing-coverts ; a spot of black on each side of the lower-throat. 
Nest. A depression in the ground. 
Eggs. Clutch, two or three ; ground-colour pale stone, marked aU over, but more at the 
larger end, with purphsh-black and lavender spots; axis 39 to 39.5 mm., diameter 
26.5 to 27 . 
Breeding-season. September to November (North) ; October to January (Belcher). 
Captain S. A. White collected this species in Kangaroo Island in December, 
I9II, and Mr. Edwin Ashby found it common there in October, 1905, when it 
had evidently been nesting. He also found it common along the seashore 
of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. 
Mr. J. W. Mellor sends me the following : “ These birds frequent the 
sandy sea-shores only, and may be seen running along at the edge of the 
advancing tide in Uttle flocks of six or eight, or in pairs. The surf will often 
catch them, but they fly before it gets far up their legs, and settle again a 
short way up the beach. Should you want to get near them and foUow up 
the shore, they will run along the sandy beach with quick sharp runs, 
keeping ahead of the pursuer walking at a brisk pace. They breed on the 
sand sliingle just above the tide mark, using a Httle sea-weed or some shingly 
stones and shells to surround the place where the eggs are laid, and hke the 
other dottrels the locating of the eggs is an effective deception to the eyesight ; 
the clutches are two or three eggs. I have seen the birds on Kangaroo Island 
where they breed, also on Eyre’s and Yorke’s Peninsulas, South Austraha. 
I saw them frequently on the islands of Bass Straits. Victoria is also 
a good breeding locality, on some of the long stretches of sea beach to be 
found there.” 
VOL. m. 
129 
