364 
SCOLOPACIDAC. 
GRALLA TORES, 
SCOLOPACIEjE. 
DUNLIN. 
Tringa yariabtlis. 
PLATE on. 
The Dunlin breeds upon most of the heaths and 
marshy moors of the north of England, of Scotland, and 
the Scottish Isles; we met with nests in the Shetland 
Islands; but Mr. Salmon seems to have found them much 
more numerous in the Orkneys. In an account of his 
visit to those islands, which appeared some years ago in 
the “Magazine of Natural History/' he says “This little 
bird we found in abundance in almost every island, asso¬ 
ciating with the snipe. In some eggs we found the 
ground-colour of a light blue, inclining to a dirty white. 
The birds appeared to sit very close, and suffered us to 
approach very near to their nests, before they attempted 
to fly; in two instances I took them off the eggs." 
The eggs of the Dunlin are usually placed very snugly 
either amongst heath, or under a tuft of long dry grass, 
and are then difficult to find; I have, however, seen them 
placed like those of the peewit, and with no more protec¬ 
tion from the weather, upon the bare grass or moss which 
here and there grows in such beautiful green patches 
amongst the dark heather, and gives such charming 
variety to the scene, appearing more intensely green from 
the contrast. The Dunlin can scarcely be said to make a 
