328 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



in small flocks, but generally in scattered groups. It has been 

 frequently shot in East Lothian on the banks of the Tyne estuary, 

 and also in Berwickshire at the mouth of the Tweed, as I have 

 been obligingly informed by the Earl of Haddington. I watched 

 a pair of Grey Phalaropes sitting in a shallow pool among the 

 rocks near Dunbar, in February, 1864; they allowed me to approach 

 within a few feet of the water, and I could almost have touched 

 them with an ordinary cane. On putting them up, they both flew 

 a little distance, and alighted in another rock-encircled pool, where 

 the depth of water obliged them to swim, which they did with 

 extreme grace. After seeing them picking off some of the smaller 

 marine animals which they found adhering to the sea weed on the 

 sides of the rock, I again disturbed them, after which they took 

 out to sea, and were soon lost to sight. 



In the Fauna of Orkney, published by Messrs Baikie and Heddle, 

 it is stated that " this species was first observed in Orkney by Dr 

 Neill in 1804, who killed several in Papa Westray. It is found 

 in Sanday, and some other islands, in most of which it breeds;" 

 but on referring to Dr Neill's 'Tour/ I find he says [Aug. 6th]: 

 " On the margins of the lakes and marshes in this island we saw 

 many birds of the Phalarope genus, which the inhabitants very 

 appropriately name ' half-webs.' We shot the Tringa lobata, or 

 Grey Phalarope." It is possible that this writer saw and shot the 

 red-necked phalarope, as that species would then be congregating 

 before quitting the island; and it is nearly certain that in stating 

 the bird breeds in several of the islands Messrs Baikie and Heddle 

 committed a mistake. It is proper to mention, however, that 

 Pennant, in his 'Caledonian Zoology' (1777), says that the Grey 

 Phalarope was then supposed to breed in Orkney, the species 

 having been shot there in summer. In 1768 his information re- 

 garding this and the following species must have been very 

 meagre, as may be seen on consulting his ' British Zoology,' first 

 8vo edition, published in that year. His tour in Scotland re- 

 sulted in the accumulation of ample materials for subsequent 

 editions of his general work. 



