Dec. 1, 1S6G.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



217 



The Grey Phalarope (PKalaropus lobatus). — 

 Forty-one specimens of this elegant little bird were 

 shot here during the latter part of October. The 

 Grey Phalarope was formerly so rare in Britain, that 

 Pennant says he only knew of its occurrence twice 

 in his time ; and even now it is by no means a 

 common bird, though it is not unfrequently seen 

 during its migration from the Arctic regions (where 

 it breeds) to its southern winter quarters. Its 

 winter plumage is chiefly grey and white ; whilst in 

 summer the prevailing tints are yellow, black, and 

 white, with "reddish orange-brown" breast. "The 

 species feed on small Crustacea and water-insects, 

 gnats/and their larvae. The eggs are usually four 

 in number, of a stone-colour, with a tinge of olive, 

 and spots and specks of dark brown. The note is 

 likened by Meyer to the word ' Pick, pick,' uttered 

 quickly, and in a high tone." Its length is about 

 S inches, and the wings expanded measure a little 

 over a foot. The Phalaropes appear to be very 

 tame, six of those mentioned above having been 

 shot one after another, without the slightest attempt 

 on the part of the survivors to take flight ; in fact, 

 they witnessed the slaughter of their comrades with 

 the greatest possible indifference. — W. L. Hall, 

 Eastbourne. 



The Grey Phalarope, &c— On the 20th of 

 September last — a period of very heavy storms — 

 I saw a Grey Phalarope on a small fresh-water 

 pond at the Manor House, Piddletrenthide, swim- 

 ming about, and taking occasional flights, when 

 alarmed, into the adjoining garden. It was picked 

 up dead the next morning in very poor condition. 

 On that day, the 21st, another of these pretty little 

 birds was seen by me about four miles to the east- 

 ward, on an exceedingly small pond, formed by 

 the excavation of clay for bricks, at Ansty, in the 

 parish of Hilton. Both of these places are, by the 

 Ordnance Map, twelve miles from the sea-shore. 

 Within the next two or three weeks, specimens of 

 the Golden Oriole and of the Glossy Ibis were seen 

 also near Kimmeridge Bay, in the Isle of Purbeck. 

 The latter was secured by my friend, J. C. Mansell, 

 Esq., and is now in the stuffer's hands.— C. W. 

 Bingham. 



Little Bittern in Scotland. — A fine speci- 

 men of the Little Bittern, Ardea minuta, Linn., flew 

 on board a vessel while entering this port on the 

 21st of October last. Can any of your correspond- 

 ents inform me if it has been previously captured 

 in Scotland ? — G. S., Aberdeen. 



Dr. Eleming mentions one shot in the Orkneys in 

 1S05, and M'Gillivray says, " I am not aware of its 

 having been obtained on any part of the mainland 

 of Scotland."— .EVA 



Spiders at Work. — It has, I believe, often 

 mizzled naturalists to make out how the spider 



contrives to fix the different points of the main 

 threads upon which its snare is suspended, those 

 points being often widely apart, and so situated 

 that it is impossible that the spider could pass from 

 one to the other, except by flying, and that such is 

 the case I have no doubt. The facts recorded by 

 Kirby (who was my near relation) and Spence, in 

 their chapter on the "Motions of Insects," are 

 abundantly sufficient to prove this point, and to 

 these I beg to be allowed to add an observa- 

 tion made by me on Sunday morning last. My 

 attention was attracted by the barking and leaping 

 of my dog (upon a grass-plot at a distance from the 

 house and from any trees) at some object directly 

 over its head, which I at first supposed to be a large 

 fly, but soon perceived that it was one of the 

 common brown spiders which at this period infest 

 all our gardens. The creature was executing 

 aerial movements, vertical, lateral, and horizontal, 

 with the utmost facility, and with great rapidity. 

 Sometimes it soared to a height of 15 feet, then 

 darted swiftly downwards nearly to the ground, 

 then swayed and swung itself hither and thither in 

 every possible direction, much after the manner in 

 which flies perform their mazy dance in our rooms 

 or in the deep shadows of trees. I watched its 

 evolutions for ten minutes, and could distinctly see, 

 whenever it approached me, that it was busily 

 manipulating the threads from its spinnets, though 

 I was unable to see the threads themselves, and it 

 seemed to be constantly elevating and depressing 

 its body, or rather anus. The atmosphere was very 

 humid, and there was scarcely any breeze. Could 

 the length of web darted forth be so supported by 

 the humid air as to counterpoise the weight of the 

 body ? At all events, I cannot, after witnessing the 

 movements of this spider, have any doubt as'to the 

 manner in which the main beams, if I may so term 

 them, of this snare are fixed, viz., by the animal's 

 darting or flying from point to point. I presume 

 that the reason why the operation itself is so seldom 

 seen, is that the spider is very shy, easily disturbed, 

 and a night-worker. — J. M. Rodicell. 



Red-breasted Pipit. — A specimen of the Bed- 

 breasted Pipit {Anthus montanus) was killed by my 

 father on the 22nd of March. It was in company 

 with some Meadow Pipits {Anthus pratensis). — 

 S. L. Mosley, Almondbury Bank, near Hudders- 

 field. 



The Rev. E. 0. Morris, in his " British Birds," 

 figured a Red-breasted Pipit, said to have been 

 obtained in Scotland, and which he names Anthus 

 montanus, Koch. The specimen above alluded to, 

 which is the second recorded to have occurred in 

 Britain, should be carefully examined and compared, 

 and not taken for granted as a new British species. 

 It is, at the least, doubtful.— Ed. 



