264 CHAEADKIID^ 



annually about the north-east of Lincolnshire. The southern 

 counties and some of the midlands have also been visited. 

 On the opposite shores (including those of Wales) it is very 

 uncommon. Recently two specimens have been obtained 

 in Towyn, Merioneth ; one in September, 1901, the other 

 in the autumn of 1902 (H. E. Forrest, 'Zoologist,' 1901, 

 p. 428, and 1904, p. 461). 



The history of the Eed-necked Phalarope as an Irish 

 bird is highly interesting and deserves special notice. It 

 was unknown in the country previous to November, 1891, 

 when after a great gale, a single specimen was shot in the 

 co. Armagh, and until quite recently this represented the 

 only reliable instance from Ireland. It is not strange, 

 therefore, that in that country this species was looked 

 upon as an extremely rare and accidental visitor. In the 

 summer of 1902, however, the late Mr. E. Williams, of 

 Dublin, received additional specimens, including a nestling ; 

 moreover he ascertained by correspondence that the birds 

 sent to him were breeding in the locality from whence they 

 came. I examined each specimen in the flesh ; they were 

 undoubtedly adults, the male in full nuptial garb, the female 

 showing some of her winter feathers. The nestling was 

 very young recently hatched and was thickly covered 

 with soft woolly down. With reference to this important 

 ornithological discovery I quote the following account from 

 a paper written by the late Mr. E. Williams, which was 

 published in the ' Irish Naturalist/ vol. xii, p. 41 : 



" The Bed-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus) 

 was unknown as an Irish bird till the year 1891, when, 

 during the month of November, a great gale occurred and 

 a quantity of Forktailed Petrels and Common Phalaropes 

 were blown inland. Among the specimens I received were 

 a Wilson's Petrel and a Bed-necked Phalarope, both new to 

 Ireland. The Phalarope was in full winter plumage, and 

 was shot by Mr. J. A. Haire, at Loughgilly, co. Armagh. 

 This specimen is now in the National Museum. 



" Nothing more was heard of this species till May, 1902, 

 when I received a beautiful specimen in full summer 

 plumage from Mr. J. A. Sheridan ; the exact locality where 

 he obtained the bird I have been unable to ascertain. It 

 had a curiously malformed beak, turned up at the end like 

 a minature Avocet, and it showed in a very marked degree 

 the beautiful bay colour on the neck, from which the bird 

 derives its name. 



