AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 33 



within a few yards of Stilts as they waded, busily 

 feeding as mentioned above. 



This bird is a common vernal migrant to many 

 parts of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. I 

 met with a few in the winter of 1856 in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Tunis, but the majority of those that 

 breed in Europe go much further south for the cold 

 weather. The flight of the Stilt, with its legs 

 stretched to their full extent, somewhat resembles 

 that of the Herons, and the bird is so peculiar and 

 conspicuous, that I fear there is but little chance 

 of a visitor of this species escaping the gun in our 

 country. 



142. GREY PHALAROPE. 



Phalaropus lohatus. 



In an interesting work by the Rev. G. C. Green, 

 entitled ' Recollections of Natural History and Sport,' 

 I find that the author, in writing of the fauna of 

 Everdon, Norths (where his Eton holidays seem to 

 have been chiefly spent), refers to Daventry Reservoir 

 and the smaller one not far from it, known as the 

 Old Reservoir, as the most favoured resort of all the 

 (feathered) rarities, and states : — " Here the Grey 

 Phalarope was sometimes procured, one specimen of 

 which came to our lot." * From the context, I infer 

 that these occurrences must have taken place about 

 forty years ago, and it is somewhat remarkable that, 

 although this erratic species has appeared in almost 

 every county in England, the only other positive 

 record that I possess of it in Northamptonshire is 



* Cf. concluding paragraph of this article. 

 VOL. II. D 



