THE PHALAROPES 263 



great height, produced a peculiar noise with her wings. This, how- 

 ever, was not during a courting action, but while endeavouring to 

 protect her young. 



The courtship and nesting habits of the grey-phalarope have been 

 most admirably described by Heir Manniche in his recently published 

 work on The Terrestrial Mammals and Birds of North-east Greenland. 1 



His description of the female's courting display coincides with 

 that by Mr. Aplin of the rednecked-phalarope, viz. that it con- 

 sists of a swimming dance in which she whirls around very rapidly 

 on the surface of the water, "always in the same little circle, 

 the diameter of which was some 10 cm." Herr Manniche's further 

 account of the behaviour of a pair he watched is as follows : " As the 

 male seemed to pay no attention to her alluring movements, she flew 

 rapidly up to him producing as she left the water a peculiar whirring 

 sound with her wings, and uttering short angry cries pushed him 

 with her bill, and then she returned to the water and took up her 

 swimming dance. Now the male came out to her and the two birds 

 whirled around for some moments, equally eager and with increasing 

 rapidity. Uttering a short call, the female again flew to a tuft 

 surrounded by water and waited some seconds in vain for the male ; 

 again she flew to the water to induce him with eager pushes and 

 thumps to accompany her. They again whirled 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." 



No doubt remains as to the complete subjection of the male of 

 this species. The female, according to Herr Manniche, "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 commanding cry 

 which may be expressed as 'pittss,' and if the male does not follow 



A. L. V. Manniche, "The Terrestrial Mammals and Birds of North-east Greenland," 

 forming part of the fifth volume of the scientific results of Mylius-Erichsen's Danish Expedition 

 to Nvrth-east Greenland in the Years 1906-1908. 



