NOTES. 253 



3rd it was seen by Mr. M. J. Nicoll from the top of a tram 

 on which he was travelling from Bexhill. The bird, he told 

 me, was feeding in a field by the roadside in company with 

 four LajDwings, and was so close to the passing tram that 

 he had no difficulty in identifying it and could make out 

 that it was an immature bird. I daily expected to hear 

 that it had been shot, but, though constantly pursued, it was 

 not until October 9th that it finally met its inevitable 

 fate about a mile inland from where it first appeared. It 

 proved to be a male and, as Mr. Nicoll stated, it was a bird 

 of the year, with a dusky stripe do-'ATi the back of its neck, 

 and yellowish legs. 



It is perhaps a little surprising that the Stilt is such a rare 

 straggler to the south-east of England, and it is hardly likely 

 that such a striking bird would escape notice, nevertheless 

 there appear to be only three previous records from Sussex 

 (the last on May 6th, 1880, near Eastbourne) and only a 

 single one from Kent. N. F. Ticehurst. 



RED-NECKED PHALAROPE IN NORFOLK. 



In the last week of August, 1910, a Red-necked Phalarope 

 (Phalaropus hyperboreus), presumably a female in its first 

 plumage, frequented a duck-pond in a farm-yard at Sidestrand, 

 near Cromer. As I ^\'as staying at the farm at the time, I had 

 good opportunities of daily watching the bird ; it was still 

 on the pond when I left on September 1st, and I hope 

 eventually escaped the collector's gun. The occurrence of this 

 species in Norfolk has apparently seldom been recorded in 

 recent years. A few remarks on its actions and habits may 

 perhaps be of some interest. 



As a,ppears to be the case at all times of the year, this 

 Phalarope was extremely tame, and on no occasion did it 

 take wing when watched. Its movements when feeding — by 

 continually picking insects off the surface of the water — were 

 very quick and incessant as it swam about, in fact it was 

 never still a moment ; occasionally it would fly up a few 

 inches and catch gnats on the wing. 



During a very heavy rain-storm which churned up the 

 water, the bird continued feeding unconcernedly for a few 

 minutes, but at last apparently getting wetter than it liked, 

 it waded ashore with evident reluctance. It then sheltered 

 under the herbage out of sight for a few seconds, and on 

 emerging, sat on the bank for a while and finally took to the 

 water again ; the rain still continuing, it rose from the pond, 

 flying to a considerable height round about the farm with great 



