196 BRITISH BIRDS* EGGS. 



THE GREY PHALAROPE. Phalaropus lotiatus. Northern 

 regions are chosen as the breeding and summer haunts of 

 this species, from whence, in autumn, it migrates southward, 

 visiting temperate Europe, the British Islands, and other 

 parts. "It not only frequents the shore, and the bays, 

 creeks, and inlets of our island during the winter, but also 

 mill-dams, large pools, and even farm-yard ponds, readily 

 allowing itself to be approached, unsuspicious of danger." 

 Its food consists of aquatic insects, especially those which 

 live on the surface of the water, which it catches with great 

 address, being an expert swimmer ; indeed, several of these 

 birds have been met with at a vast distance from land, 

 swimming about among the icebergs of the north. With 

 its breeding habits we are not fully acquainted, but its 

 nest is slight, and placed upon elevated ground in the midst 

 of marsh. The eggs, which are of a pear-shaped form, do 

 not greatly exceed in size those of the Missel Thrush, and 

 are of a pale yellowish-green colour boldly and thickly 

 spotted with grey and black. 



RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Phalaropus hyperborem. 

 This species possesses most of the habits of the last. We 

 are not aware of any other part of the British Islands in 

 which it has been observed to breed except the Orkneys, 



