GKEY PHALAROPE 259 



GREY PHALAROPE. Phalaropus fulicarius (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, 

 pis. 81 and 82 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pis. 

 538, 539, fig. 1 ; Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 

 21 ; Booth, 'Kough Notes,' vol. ii, pi. 32. 



This beautiful species is net improbably an annual British 

 visitor during autumn and early winter, but its migratory 

 movements are irregular and rather spasmodic in character. 

 It is of less frequent occurrence as a vernal migrant on its 

 passage northward. 



In England it occurs most often in the southern counties. 



In Scotland small numbers have been recorded from 

 Berwickshire to the Orkneys (Saunders). Recently several 

 specimens have been obtained from the Outer Hebrides. 

 Mr. Buckley mentions a bird taken at Lochmaddy 

 about October 20th, 1900; this appears to be the first 

 record of this species occurring in these islands. In 

 September, 1901, Dr. J. M'B-ury records one found in 

 Barra, and on November 3rd a specimen, the wing and 

 leg of which were received by Mr. Eagle Clarke, was 

 obtained at Eilean Ghlais Lighthouse. 



In Ireland this bird is uncommon, though it probably 

 occurs annually. Nearly all the maritime counties have 

 been visited, and there are records from the most westerly 

 points of Ulster, Connaught, and Munster. 



A great invasion of Grey Phalaropes took place between 

 August 20th and October 8th, 1866. Upwards of 500 were 

 killed, fully half of which were obtained in Sussex (J. H. 

 Gurney). Three years later large numbers again appeared 

 in Britain. In 1886 there was another immigration con- 

 fined chiefly to the south of England ; this was followed in 

 1891 by a much more widely spread visitation, many of the 

 birds extending their range even to the western counties of 

 Ireland. 



The habits of this species are exceptionally interesting. 

 Like other shore-birds (Limicolce) it is active both on foot 

 and on the wing, but, in addition, it is an expert swimmer, 

 and may often be seen far out at sea, resting on the surface 

 of the water as buoyantly as a cork. To subserve its aquatic 

 habits it has acquired a much denser covering of feathers 

 than is possessed by the great majority of wading-birds, 

 and its skin is thickly coated with down like that of a Gull. 



