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DOTTEREL. 
DOTTEELL. DOTTEEEL PLOYEE. 
Charadrius morinellus , 
“ Tataricus , 
“ Sibiricus , 
Pennant. Montagu. 
Latham. 
Gmelin. 
Charadrius. 
? JfonWZtfs—A diminutive of 
Morio—k fool or dotard. 
This species belongs to Europe, being found in Turkey, 
Russia, Siberia, Lapland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and 
Denmark; likewise in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and its 
islands; Bohemia and Silesia; and in Holland, where it is rare. 
It also appertains to Northern Asia, Persia, and Tartary, on 
the vast Steppes of which country it is found in the vicinity 
of the salt lakes and marshes of the desolate regions that 
there exist. 
The Dotterel has acquired the character of being a foolish 
bird, and hence its English name from the word to dote, to 
be fond or foolish, and its Latin one from the word Morio, 
a foolish fellow. The only folly, however, that, so far as I 
can see, the bird is guilty of, is that of permitting the near 
approach of man, and this on the ungracious principle of 
believing every one to be a rogue until you know him 
to be honest, is certainly the opposite of worldly wisdom. 
For myself, nevertheless, much as I have suffered more than 
once from acting on the contrary supposition, I still prefer a 
more unsophisticated maxim. 
The bird was formerly supposed to imitate the actions of 
the fowler, and so to fall into the trap, instead of providing 
for its escape by a timely flight. Thus, Drayton, in his 
Polyolbion—- 
‘The Dotterel, which we think a very dainty dish, 
Whose taking makes such sport as no man more can wish, 
