RED-NECKED PHALAEOPE.— WOODCOCK. 219 



necked Phalarope Avas shot on a small pond near Old Shore- 

 ham^ and is now in my collection. It was in pure winter 

 plumage. On the 28th of May^ 1846^ another was obtained, 

 also on a small pond^ at Falmer, the ovary containing eggs 

 in an advanced state ; this was in full nuptial plumage, and 

 had no doubt been driven out of its course by a severe gale. 

 It was very tame, swimming and dipping its bill in the water 

 like its congener. Mr. Ellman, in the ' Zoologist ' (p. 3085), 

 records a third, in winter plumage, shot on a pond near 

 Lewes, in November 1851. 



On October 4th, 1853, a fourth was killed on a pond in 

 the heart of the village of Rottingdean, while swimming 

 among some tame ducks, in nearly complete winter plumage, 

 a few red feathers only appearing on the neck. This is re- 

 corded by Mr. Arthur Hussey (Zoologist, p. 4096-7). A 

 fifth example was observed, while swimming on a flooded 

 meadow near the sea, opposite the village of Bexhill. It was 

 in comjjany with a Schinz Sandpiper, when both were 

 obtained at one shot, by Mr. Robert Kent, of St. Leonards- 

 on-Sea. They both proved males (Zoologist, p. 6537). 



WOODCOCK. 



Scolojpax rusticula. 



This bird breeds every year in most counties of England, but 

 is comparatively scarce till the arrival of large flights in 

 October, of Avhich the main body pass on to the westward, 

 leaving small detachments, which gradually spread over the 

 wooded parts of the county. On their first arrival many 

 drop among the furze on the South Downs, and they have 

 been several times picked up in the gardens of the towns on 

 the coast. 



