154 A. L. V. Manniche. 



Avhiiied violently around, whereafter she, uttering a strong alluring 

 sound flew back to the tuft this time accompanied by the male — 

 and the pairing immediately took place. 



In the matrimony of the Grey Phalarope the female only deci- 

 des. She exceeds the male in size and brilliancy of plumage and 

 has the decisive power in all family-affairs. If she wants to shift 

 her place of residence she flies up swift as an arrow with a com- 

 manding cry — which may be expressed as "pittss" — and if the 

 male does not follow her at once, she will immediately return and 

 give him a severe punishment, which never fails to have the desired 

 effect. It is a well-known fact, that she completely ignores her eggs 

 and young ones. 



It is peculiar, that the male has well marked breeding spots 

 before the breeding begins and certainly before the female has laid 

 her first egg; but this fact has been proved by several solid exami- 

 nations. 



June 26**^ 1907 I observed on the beach of the Bjergandesø in 

 the Stormkap district, that the nest building was executed by the 

 male. He was busy in building the nest on a low bank covered 

 with short grass, while she paid no attention to his labour, but 

 swam around the beach searching food. 



The male shaped a nest-hollow^ bj' turning round his body 

 against the ground on the place selected, having first by aid of the 

 feet scraped away and trampeled down the longest and most trouble- 

 some straws. He diligently used feet and bill at the same time to 

 arrange the shorter fine straws, which are carefully bent into the 

 nest hollow and form the lining of this. The nest was much smal- 

 ler than that of Tringa alpina and contained one egg the next day, 



July 2"'* I returned in order to see the nest and found it empty 

 plundered by a Polar Fox, the traces of which could be seen around 

 the nest and on the muddy beach of the lake. 



Along the beaches of a smaller lake not far from the ship's- 

 harbour I saw June 30*'^ three solitary swimming males at least one 

 of which showed signs of having a nest. I soon found this close 

 to the place of residence of the male in question. The nest con- 

 tained 4 fresh eggs and was built in exactly the same way as the 

 before mentioned nest. 



The male proved so far from being shy, that he could be dri- 

 ven to his nest and nearly be caught by hand; having laid himself 

 upon the nest he was still more fearless. 



A breeding Phalarope will lie motionless with his head pressed 

 deep down against his back. He is almost fully covered by straws, 

 w^hich surround the nest, as he лvith the bill bends these over him- 



