264 CHARADRIIDAi 
annually about the north-east of Lincolnshire. The southern 
counties and some of the midlands have also been visited. 
On the opposite shores (including those of Wales) it is very 
uncommon. Recently two specimens have been obtained 
in Towyn, Merioneth; one in September, 1901, the other 
in the autumn of 1902 (H. E. Forrest, ‘ Zoologist,’ 1901, 
p. 428, and 1904, p. 461). 
The history of the Red-necked Phalarope as an Irish 
bird is highly interesting and deserves special notice. It 
was unknown in the country previous to November, 1891, 
when after a great gale, a single specimen was shot in the 
co. Armagh, and until quite recently this represented the 
only reliable instance from Ireland. It is not strange, 
therefore, that in that country this species was looked 
upon as an extremely rare and accidental visitor. In the 
summer of 1902, however, the late Mr. EK. Williams, of 
Dublin, received additional specimens, including a nestling ; 
moreover he ascertained by correspondence that the birds 
sent to him were breeding in the locality from whence they 
came. I examined each specimen in the flesh; they were 
undoubtedly adults, the male in full nuptial garb, the female 
showing some of her winter feathers. The nestling was 
very young—recently hatched—and was thickly covered 
with soft woolly down. With reference to this important 
ornithological discovery I quote the following account from 
a paper written by the late Mr. EH. Williams, which was 
published in the ‘Irish Naturalist,’ vol. xu, p. 41 :— 
“The Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus) 
was unknown as an Irish bird till the year 1891, when, 
during the month of November, a great gale occurred and 
a quantity of Forktailed Petrels and Common Phalaropes 
were blown inland. Among the specimens I received were 
a Wilson’s Petrel and a Red-necked Phalarope, both new to 
Ireland. The Phalarope was in full winter plumage, and 
was shot by Mr. J. A. Haire, at Loughgilly, co. Armagh. 
This specimen is now in the National Museum. 
‘Nothing more was heard of this species till May, 1902, 
when I received a beautiful specimen in full summer 
plumage from Mr. J. A. Sheridan ; the exact locality where 
he obtained the bird I have been unable to ascertain. It 
had a curiously malformed beak, turned up at the end like 
a minature Avocet, and it showed in a very marked degree 
the beautiful bay colour on the neck, from which the bird 
derives its name. 
