ioo BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



to Point Barrow, Alaska,' Washington, 1885) is always ill the grass, never in the 

 black or mossy portions of the tundra, and usually in a pretty wet situation. A 

 favourite nesting place was a narrow grassy isthmus between two shallow ponds. 

 The nest is a slight affair of dried grass, and always well concealed. Four is the 

 usual number of eggs in a complete set, although sets of three incubated eggs 

 are to be found. Some of the pairs have their complement of eggs by the middle 

 of June, but others much later. The whole duty of raising and taking care of 

 the brood, after the eggs are laid, falls upon the males, who hatch the eggs and 

 take care of the young brood, while the female spends her time away feeding. 

 We never found a female sitting on eggs, or took one with her breast plucked." 

 We have no English account approaching to this. The nest appears to be usually 

 close to the sea, or within easy reach of it. The eggs are very like those of the 

 Red-necked Phalarope (which, I feel sure, do duty for them at times), but are a 

 shade larger and broader in proportion to their length. They are of a greenish- 

 buff, blotched and speckled, especially at the larger end, with dark umber brown, 

 and measure about ij inches, by a little more than f inch. 



I borrow again from the Alaska Expedition Report. " They arrive early in 

 June, in full breeding plumage, already paired, and remain till late in October, 

 when the sea begins to close. The adults appear to leave about the end of July, 

 as the great flocks which stay so late, seem to be all of the young of the year. 

 They are extremely tame and attractive little birds ' during the breeding season, 

 paddling about the little ponds on the tundra in their peculiarly graceful manner, 

 having apparently no fear of man or beast, and keeping up a continual twittering, 

 as of conversation, amongst themselves. They are at all times a noisy bird, 

 especially when gathered in flocks." 



In our country they seem to affect small brackish ponds and horse ponds, in 

 fields and in farm yards, near the sea, rather than the actual sea-shores. I know 

 such a horse pond where several Grey Phalaropes have been seen at different 

 times, though the pond is actually in a frequented farm yard, with a high-road 

 along one side of it. 



Their food consists of small aquatic creatures, Crustacea, larvae, and the flies 

 which frequent water. 



