552 RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 



route by the valley of the Volga — especially in spring, visiting the 

 Black Sea district and some of the inland waters of Central Europe, 

 and it occurs irregularly in the Mediterranean basin ; it is, however, 

 rare to the west of Italy, though it has once been obtained in Morocco. 

 It is seldom found on the western and northern coasts of France or 

 on the shores of Holland and Germany ; but towards the north- 

 east end of the Baltic it is not uncommon on the autumn passage. 



The nest is in a tuft of grass in a wet place, and the eggs, 4 in 

 number, are often rather greener in ground-colour and blacker in 

 their markings than those of the Grey Phalarope, as well as smaller 

 and somewhat more pointed : average measurements i"i5 by '82 in. 

 The male takes a considerable share in the duties of incubation, 

 and after the young are hatched both parents display great anxiety, 

 hovering close round the intruder. The note is a low metallic 

 pleep, plecp. The food consists of small crustaceans, marine insects, 

 worms (S:c. ; while, like the former species, the bird swims well, 

 though it has not been noticed quite so far from land. 



In summer the adult female has the head, hind-neck, and 

 shoulders lead-grey ; the feathers of the back and wings somewhat 

 darker, with a mixture of pale rufous ; tips of the wing-coverts and 

 secondaries white, forming a bar ; tail-feathers brownish-grey, the 

 middle pair darkest ; chin pure white ; sides and front of the neck 

 chestnut ; centre of the neck and upper breast lead-grey ; under 

 parts white ; bill black; legs, feetandlobes greenish. Whole length 

 775 in. ; wing 4'35 in. The male is slightly smaller, and has the 

 colours on the head and neck much duller and less sharply con- 

 trasted. In winter the forehead and the greater part of the crown 

 are white ; nape, and a streak through the eye sooty-brown ; dorsal 

 feathers margined with white ; cheeks and under parts nearly pure 

 white. The young in autumn have rufous and greyish-white margins 

 to the upper feathers, but afterwards resemble the parents ; their 

 feet are yellowish and their toes are muck less lobed. 



The third and largest member of the genus, Ph. tvilsoni, is con- 

 fined to America, where it chiefly inhabits the interior. Mr. J. 

 Whitaker of Rainworth, Notts, possesses a specimen which he be- 

 lieves to have been shot ' some years ago' in Leicestershire (P.Z.S. 

 1886, p. 297). A separate genus, Stegatwpns, has been devised for 

 this species, which has a long slender bill, like our Red-necked 

 Phalarope ; while some ornithologists, especially those in America, 

 place the Grey Phalarope in a third genus, CrymophiUts. 



