RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 105 



hillocks among the marshes. The young birds leave the 

 nest as soon as hatched. On the approach of danger tl?.e 

 old bird runs among the aquatic herbage, spreading her 

 wings, and counterfeiting lameness, for the purpose of 

 deluding the intruder ; and after leading the enemy from 

 her young, she takes wing and flies to a great height, at 

 the same time displaying a peculiar action of the wings ; 

 then descending with great velocity, and making simul- 

 taneously a noise with her wings. On her return to her 

 young, she uses a particular cry for the purpose of gather- 

 ing the young together. As soon as she has collected 

 them, she covers them with her wings like the domestic 

 hen." A small flock of these birds was seen on the west 

 coast of Greenland, in latitude 71, in June, on Sir 

 Edward Parry's first Arctic voyage ; and Sir James Ross, 

 in the Natural History Appendix to the third voyage, 

 mentions that a small flock of these birds alighted under 

 the lee of the ship, during a strong breeze of wind, and 

 were so fearless of danger as to approach within a few 

 yards of her, feeding on small shrimps, which were seen 

 in great numbers. At this time, it is observed, " we were 

 sixty miles from the nearest land. (Disco.) We found 

 them breeding at whale fish islands, but saw no more of 

 them after leaving the coast of Greenland." Sir John 

 Richardson says this species breeds on all the Arctic 

 coast of America, and it is well-known to the naturalists 

 of the United States ; but Mr. Audubon remarks that 

 few individuals are ever seen to the south of New York. 



M. Temminck, and other authorities on the continent 

 of Europe, mention that this bird is obtained occasionally 

 in Holland and Germany, but is rare in France, Switzer- 

 land, Provence, and Italy. 



The food, as may be inferred from what has been al- 

 ready stated, consists of small Crustacea, marine insects, 



