106 SCOLOPACIDJl. 



worms, &c. An egg in my own collection measures one 

 inch two lines in length, by ten lines in breadth, the 

 ground colour olive, blotched and streaked over with dark 

 red brown. From the denuded state of the breast of males 

 obtained during the breeding-season, there is reason to 

 believe they take a considerable share in the process of 

 incubation. 



In summer the beak is black, more slender and longer 

 than that of the Grey Phalarope ; irides dark brown ; 

 around the base of the beak and the eyes, on the top of 

 the head, back of the neck, all the back and the wing- 

 coverts, nearly uniform dark lead-colour; the scapulars 

 and tertials margined with reddish yellow; primaries 

 almost black ; secondaries rather lighter in colour and 

 tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts dusky and white ; 

 tail-feathers brownish grey, the middle pair the darkest 

 in colour ; chin pure white ; sides and front of the neck 

 rich yellowish red ; feathers of the lower part of the neck 

 in front dark grey, edged with white ; breast, belly, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts, pure white ; in front of the wing 

 a patch of dark grey, which extends backwards, mixed 

 with white over the sides and flanks. Legs, toes, and 

 their membranes green, the claws black. 



Adult birds in winter have little or no red on the neck 

 or back, and young birds of the year resemble old birds in 

 winter. 



Females measure about seven inches in length, and are 

 larger than males ; from the carpal joint to the end of the 

 longest quill-feather four inches and one quarter. The 

 length of the beak, from the feathers on the forehead, ten 

 lines and a half. 



