136 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIEE. 



RED-NECKED VRALARO'PE.— Phakiropus hyperUrens (Linn). 



A EARE visitant to the South Coast of Devon. 

 Writing in January, 1859, Gatcombe remarks: "I 

 only know one instance of its having been obtained 

 in Plymouth" (Zool. 1859, p. 6378). Exactly ten 

 years later we find him recording a second specimen 

 in perfect summer dress, killed on the 7th of June, 

 1869, on the Hamoaze, off Torpoint, when swimming 

 in the water, and performing graceful and sprightly 

 evolutions in securing its prey on the surface. He 

 adds : " I had never before seen but one Devonshire 

 specimen and that was obtained in the autumn," 

 referring no doubt to the Phalarope killed prior to 

 the year 1859 (Zool. 1869, p. 1920). 



GREY VnKLKKOVY^.—PhalarojMS fulicarius (Linn). 



An autumn visitant of irregular occurrence, 

 generally scarce, but in some years numerous. 

 Dr. Moore records that, in October 1831, a large 

 dead whale was towed into Plymouth Sound and 

 stranded on the beach. "When first noticed, it 

 was swarming with sea birds, among which the 

 Phalaropes were most conspicuous ; they frequented 

 the rivers for two or three weeks, and during that 

 time great numbers were shot. Mr. Drew had 

 above ninety specimens, Pincombe thirty or forty, 

 Bolitho as many " (Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837. p. 322). 

 Dr. Scott of Exeter writes some years later ; " We 

 had here, in the winter of 1845, immense numbers 



