WOODCOCK 131 



reaching in the Old World south of Iceland. To the British Islands 

 the bird is, therefore, known solely as a migrant, and that a very- 

 irregular one, being generally a rare visitor, but occasionally making 

 its appearance in considerable numbers. Like most birds breeding in 

 the far north, the grey phalarope (the red phalarope, as it is called, 

 from its summer-dress, in America) wanders far to the south in 

 winter, having been recorded from New Zealand in the eastern, and 

 from Chili in the western hemisphere. In England the species is 

 least uncommon on the southern and eastern coasts, and is seldom 

 seen north of Norfolk, although it reappears in Scotland and the 

 Orkneys. To Ireland it is an occasional autumn and winter visitor. 



In the breeding-dress the grey phalarope, and more especially the 

 hen, may be described as sandy buff streaked with black on the 

 upper-parts, the crown, nape, and region of the eye wholly black, the 

 lower part of the back slaty, the rump and upper tail-coverts chestnut 

 marked with black, the wing-coverts slaty blue and white (the latter 

 forming a bar across the wing), and the sides of the neck and under- 

 parts chestnut. The paler-coloured cocks have the head more like 

 the back, and much white on the throat and breast. The winter- 

 plumage of both sexes is light pearl-grey above, with a black patch 

 on the nape of the neck, and white on the under surface. Immature 

 birds, which are those generally seen in Great Britain, resemble the 

 adults, but have merely buff margins to the black feathers of the 

 upper-parts and a broad black horseshoe-mark on the crown. The 

 chick is golden yellow striped with black, but shows a buff stripe above 

 the eye, and a black-bordered chocolate crown. 



In general habits this species appears to be very similar to the 

 last, but in America is said to associate in larger flocks. Its food in 

 winter consists of small marine crustaceans, and in summer of aquatic 

 insects. The eggs differ from those of the red-necked species merely 

 by their superior size. 



The alleged occurrence of a specimen of the long-billed Wilson's 

 phalarope, PJialaropus (or Steganopus) tricolor, of America, in Leicester- 

 shire, appears to be based on a mistake. 



Woodcock ^Vith that unrivalled bird (both as regards sport 



(Seolopax ^^^'^ ^^^ table) the woodcock, we come to the first 



rustieola). representative of the snipe group, or subfamily 



Scolopacin^, as here understood ; for, as already 



mentioned, certain writers include in this group some of the birds here 



classed with the Totanin?e. In the present sense of the term, the 



