to the habits and economy of this bird. In the neighbourhood
of Carlisle, Dottrels seldom makb~their appearance before
the middle of May, about yrbich' time ?they are occasionally
seen in different localities, in flocks which vary in
number from five to fifteen, and almost invariably resort to
heaths, barren pastures, fallow grounds, Sec. in open and
exposed situations, where they continue, if unmolested^ from
ten days to a fortnight, and then retire to „the -mountains in
the vicinity of the lakes to breed. The most favorite
breeding-haunts of these birds are always near )tc£%r on the
summits of the highest' mountains, particularly those!that are
densely covered with the woolly fringe-m oss, Trichostomum
lanuginosum, Hedw. vrhich indeed* grö'wsrmf* e > di le^s^pro-
fusely on nearly-all the most-elevated parts of this alpine
district.* In these lonely places they constantly reside the
whole of the breeding-season, a,considerable* part4df ?the time
enveloped in clouds, and ^almost daily drenched with’.rain
wetting mists, só extremely/preyalentyin thesetdreary reg io n ^
and there can be liftle doubt that it is owing to this.peculiar
feature in their economy^' that they have remained so 4bng
in obscurity during the period of incubation. The Dottrel
is by no means a solitary bird at this .time, a^>a :.fewr pairs
usually associate together^ and liyè^f to all' appearance^an' the'
greatest harmony. These birds do not make any nestj 'but
deposit their eggs, which seldom exceed three in number, in
a small cavity on dry ground covered with vegetation, and
generally near a moderate sized stone, or-fragmenf Ofi rock.
In early seasons old. females will occasionally begin to lay
their eggs about the 26th of May; but the greater part seldom
commence before the first or second week in June. It
would appear, however, from the following fact’s, that they
vary exceedingly in this respect. On the 19th of July 1888,'
* “ The favourite breeding-stations of the Dottrel are frequently called smittle-
places, by some of the guides and anglers at Keswick.” ™
a perfect egg was taken out of a female, which had been recently
killed on Robinson; and on the 26th of May 1884,
J. received four Dottrels from Keswick, which had been shot
on Great Gavel the day before. In the ovary of one of
thetn I found an egg almost quite ready for exclusion, being
a difference of nearly eight weeks. So great a discrepancy
in all probability is of very, rare occurrence ; yet it will subsequently
appear that eggs recently laid, and a young bird,
a few days old, were found on the same day, at no great distance
from each other. The males assist the females in the
incubation of their eggs. How long incubation continues I
„lave not yet been able" to ascertain; but I am inclined to
think that it rarely lasts much l.dnger than eighteen or twenty
days. A week or two previous to their departure, they congregate
in flocks', and continue together until they finally
leave this country, which takes place sometimes during the
latter part of August, at others not before the beginning of
September. A few birds no.-doubt are occasionally seen after
this period; but they are either late broods, or birds that
are return in sr from more northern latitudes. This autumn I
visited several breeding-stations on the 25th of August, and
again on the 2nd of September, but in neither instance could
I observe a single individual.
“ Anxious as I have been for several years past to procure
the eggs of the Dottrel for the purpose of adding undoubted
specimens of so rare an egg to my cabinet, as well as to prove
beyond all doubt that this bird breeds in Cumberland ; yet it
was riot until the present year that I had the gratification of
accomplishing an object which I have had so long in view.
After repeated excursions through the lake district this summer
for the express purpose, I was so fortunate as to obtain
their eggs in two different localities, — namely, three on
Whiteside, contiguous to Helvellyn, on the 29th of June,
and two on the 5th of July on Robinson, in the vicinity of