BRITISH BIRDS. 333 
with white — the outer feathers are margined with 
white ; the legs are of a dark olive colour. 
The Dotterel is common in various parts of 
Great Britain ; in others it is fcarcely known : — 
They are fuppofed to breed in the mountains of 
Cumberland and Weftmorland, where they are 
fometimes feen in the month of May, during the 
breeding feafon ; they likewife breed on feveral of 
the Highland hills : They are very common in 
Cambridgefhire, Lincolnlhire, and Derbylhire, ap- 
pearing in fmall flocks on the heaths and moors of 
thofe counties during the months of May and June, 
and are then very fat, and much efteemed for the 
table. The Dotterel is faid to be a very ftupid 
bird, and eafily taken with the moft fimple artifice, 
and that it was formerly the cuftom to decoy them 
into the net by ftretching out a leg or an arm, 
which caught the attention of the birds, fo that 
they returned it by a fimilar motion of a leg or a 
wing, and were not aware till the net dropped and 
covered the whole covey. At prefent the more 
fure method of the gun has fuperfeded this ingeni- 
ous artifice. 
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