PETCHORA 451 



When we made onr first comparisons we fancied we 

 had secured two species, but the signs of immaturity or 

 moult undeceived us. 



N.B. — These turned out to be young of the Eed-necked 

 Phalarope, not the Grey. 



The first somewhat curious difference which we note in 

 the two is the remarkable slenderness, or rather limpness 

 (flexibility), of the bill of the young as compared with 

 that of the bill of the older birds. 



The next is the absence of red on the neck and presence 

 of red on the crown of the head of the young, and vice 

 versa in the old. In all the four specimens of the former 

 the red on the head can be distinctly seen, and in all the 

 specimens at present available — five examples — of the 

 latter it is entirely absent. 



The red also is present in the tail of the young and 

 absent in the old, the feathers of the former being broadly 

 margined with it, and the whole upper plumage of the 

 former is richer than that of the latter, the red extending 

 to the edges of the longer bastard wing feathers in the 

 one and being absent in those of the other. 



Further distinctions are the blue-grey or neutral tint 

 of the wing of the young, and the yellow under surface of 

 the feet and legs and pale lead, almost flesh-colour, of the 

 upper surface of the same, as compared with the brown 

 wing and dark lead colour of the whole legs and feet of 

 the old, with the exception of a faint tinge of yellow on 

 the edges of the webs. 



There is also a slight difference in the amount of white 

 on the outer upper-tail-coverts, the young having the 

 most, but this distinction is too fine a one to be of much 

 service, and perhaps may not hold if a larger series were 

 examined. 



Further distinctions between the young and old Eed- 

 headed Phalaropes are the lighter purplish-grey on the 



