GREY PHALAROPE 259 
GREY PHALAROPE. Phalaropus fulicarius (Linneus). 
Coloured Figures—Gould, ‘Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. iv, 
pls. 81 and 82; Dresser, ‘ Birds of Europe,’ vol. vii, pls. 
588, 539, fig. 1; Lilford, ‘Coloured Figures,’ vol. v, pl. 
21; Booth, ‘Rough Notes,’ vol. ii, pl. 32. 
This beautiful species is not improbably an annual British 
visitor during autumn and early winter, but its migratory 
movements are irregular and rather spasmodic in character. 
It is of less frequent occurrence as a vernal migrant on 1ts 
passage northward. 
In England it occurs most often in the southern counties. 
In Scotland small numbers have been recorded from 
Berwickshire to the Orkneys (Saunders). Recently several 
specimens have been obtained from the Outer Hebrides. 
Mr. Buckley mentions a bird taken at Lochmaddy 
about October 20th, 1900; this appears to be the first 
record of this species occurring in these islands. In 
September, 1901, Dr. J. M‘Rury records one found in 
Barra, and on November 3rd a specimen, the wing and 
leg of which were received by Mr. Hagle Clarke, was 
obtained at Eilean Ghlais Lighthouse. 
In Ireland this bird is uncommon, though it probably 
occurs annually. Nearly all the maritime counties have 
been visited, and there are records from the most westerly 
points of Ulster, Connaught, and Munster. 
A great invasion of Grey Phalaropes took place between 
August 20th and October 8th, 1866. Upwards of 500 were 
killed, fully half of which were obtained in Sussex (J. H. 
Gurney). Three years later large numbers again appeared 
in Britain. In 1886 there was another immigration con- 
fined chiefly to the south of England; this was followed in 
1891 by a much more widely spread visitation, many of the 
birds extending their range even to the western counties of 
Treland. 
The habits of this species are exceptionally interesting. 
Like other shore-birds (Limicol@) it 1s active both on foot 
and on the wing, but, in addition, it is an expert swimmer, 
and may often be seen far out at sea, resting on the surface 
of the water as buoyantly as a cork. To subserve its aquatic 
habits it has acquired a much denser covering of feathers 
than is possessed by the great majority of wading-birds, 
and its skin is thickly coated with down like that of a Gull. 
