RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 49 



rare in England, and more common on the northern islands 

 of Scotland. Pennant refers to a specimen shot on the banks 

 of a fresh-water pool on the Isle of Stronsay, one of the Ork- 

 neys, in May 1769. Mr. Simmonds, in a paper published in 

 the eighth volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, 

 refers to six females and two males, found in 1803 about 

 fresh-water lakes in Sanda and North Ronaldsha, the two 

 most northern of the Orkney islands. Mr. Bullock, in a 

 letter to Colonel Montagu, says, " I found this Phalarope 

 common in the marshes of Sanda and Westra in the breeding 

 season, but which it leaves in the autumn. This bird is so 

 extremely tame that I killed nine without moving out of the 

 same spot, being not the least alarmed at the report of a gun. 

 It lays four eggs, of the shape of that of a Snipe, but much 

 less, of an olive colour, blotched with dusky. It swims with 

 the greatest ease, and when on the water looks like a beautiful 

 miniature of a Duck, carrying its head close to the back, in 

 the manner of a Teal." Mr. Salmon, who visited Orkney in 

 the summer of 1831, says of the Red-necked Phalarope, " this 

 beautiful little bird appeared to be very tame ; although we 

 shot two pairs, those that were swimming about did not take 

 the least notice of the report of the gun ; and they seemed to 

 be much attached to each other, for when one of them flew to 

 a short distance, the other directly followed ; and while I 

 held a female that was wounded in my hand, its mate came 

 and fluttered before my face. We were much gratified in 

 watching the motions of these elegant little creatures, as they 

 kept swimming about, and were for ever dipping their bills 

 into the water ; and so intent were they upon their occupa- 

 tion, that they did not take the least notice of us, although 

 within a few yards of them. The female has not that bril- 

 liant bay colour upon the sides of the neck and breast, so 

 conspicuous in the male. After some little difficulty, we were 

 fortunate in finding their nests, which were placed in small 



VOL. III. E 



