PLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS. 91 



reluctance, always preferring to swim out of 

 danger. Its food principally consists of insects, 

 but crustaceans, worms, and scraps of vegetable 

 substances are eaten. The call note of this 

 Phalarope is described as a shrill weet, and the 

 alarm note, heard most frequently during flight, as 

 a rapidly repeated bick-abick-a. 



The Gray Phalarope is not known to breed 

 anywhere on continental Europe, but does so in 

 Spitzbergen, in Iceland, Greenland, and probably 

 throughout all suitable parts of Arctic America 

 and Asia, as far north as land extends. In winter 

 it is very widely dispersed, even wandering as far 

 as New Zealand. The Gray Phalarope is one of 

 those species that change greatly in the colour 

 of their plumage according to season. In winter 

 dress the plumage perhaps most familiar to British 

 observers the back is gray, and the under parts 

 pure white ; but in summer the whole of the latter 

 are rich bright bay, and the feathers of the upper 

 parts are dark brown with pale reddish - brown 

 margins. In this plumage it is known as the 

 Red Phalarope. Another interesting fact is that 

 the female is much more brightly and richly 

 coloured than the male, and the latter not only 

 performs the duty of incubating the eggs, but 

 takes the greater share in tending upon the young ! 

 It may thus be inferred that the pairing habits 

 of this Phalarope are most singular, the female 

 conducting the courtship ! The Gray Phalarope 



