RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 317 



eggs are considerably smaller than those of the Dunlin, and 

 beautifully spotted all over with brown. They had but just 

 commenced laying, June 13, as we found only from one to 

 two eggs in each nest; but we were informed by a boy 

 whom we engaged in our service, that they always lay four, 

 and are called by the name of Half- web." 



In the Hebrides, according to Mr. Harvie-Brown, they 

 usually arrive in the latter part of May, and by August both 

 old and young have taken their departure. The average 

 measurement of eggs is T12 by -8 in., the ground-colour 

 olive blotched with umber-brown. The male takes a con- 

 siderable share in the duties of incubation, and, as regards 

 the behaviour of the female, the late W. Procter has con- 

 tributed the following experiences obtained in Iceland : 

 " The young birds leave the nest as soon as hatched. On 

 the approach of danger the 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 simultaneously a noise with her wings. On her 

 return to her young, she uses a particular cry for the pur- 

 pose of gathering the young together. As soon as she has 

 collected them, she covers them with her wings like the 

 domestic hen." 



The food, as may be inferred from what has been already 

 stated, consists of small Crustacea, marine insects, aquatic 

 larvae, worms, &c. The note is a sharp tirrr. 



The Red-necked Phalarope breeds in the Faeroes, Iceland, 

 and Northern Scandinavia, and can be traced in summer 

 across Northern Russia to Archangel ; thence, by way of 

 Waigats, to 73 N. lat. on the Taimyr Peninsula, in Siberia, 

 where, however, Middendorf found it less plentiful than the 

 preceding species ; he also found it nesting in the highest 

 portion of the mountains of Bosuda Alamyta. It occurs 

 along the northern coast line as far as Behring's Straits 

 where it is very abundant. In the Baltic and along the 



