90 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



Great Pond, all of which were either immature birds or adult . 

 females. The follo\ving day a Black-necked Grebe {Podiceps 

 nigricollis) was noticed in the same locality. The bird was 

 in winter plumage, but we were able to get close enough to_ 

 see the upward curve of the bill. The white patch on the 

 primaries was very conspicuous as the bird sat up and flapped 

 its wings. 



On December 19th, 1920, immediately after the break up 

 of a short but very severe period of frost, I arrived at one of 

 the Godstone ponds just in time to see two Sheld-Ducks 

 {Tadorna tadorna). The birds were flying wildly round over 

 the water and left about five minutes after my arrival, but 

 not before I had ascertained that they were male and female, 

 the knob at the base of the bill distinguishing the drake. 



Howard Bentham. 



MOVEMENTS OF GREAT CRESTED GREBES IN 

 MIDDLESEX. 

 On August ist, 192 1, I observed an unusually large number 

 of Great Crested Grebes {Podiceps c. cristatus) on the Metro- 

 politan Water Board reservoir at Staines. I was able to 

 count one hundred individuals with certainty, but the number 

 was greater than this and the flock may have contained as 

 many as one hundred and fifty. This species may be seen on 

 the reservoir during most months of the year, excepting the 

 nesting period, but the numbers in which they appear seem 

 to be rapidly increasing. Previous to this the greatest number 

 I had seen here was over fifty on October 13th, 1919. The 

 reservoir is not suitable for nesting. William E. Glegg. 



A NOTE ON THE NESTING OF THE RED-NECKED 



PHALAROPE. 

 The following notes were made during six visits to a fresh- 

 water loch in the Hebrides. The loch is only some 400 yards 

 from the Atlantic, and is a breeding haunt of the Red- 

 necked Phalarope {Phalaropus lobatus). On the east side 

 the banks are stony and the water deep, but on the west, 

 marshy and shallow, and many rushes grow. Here is the 

 summer home of a few pairs of this uncommon wader. The 

 shore of the loch on this side is quite flat " machar " land for 

 a width of 200 yards where it ends in sand dunes. On this 

 strip of good pasture land — unfortunately for the Phalaropes 

 and Dunhns — a large herd of cattle graze. 



On June 13th I counted six pairs of Phalarope. Three of 

 the hens were alone ; probably the cocks were already 

 sitting, or else they were unmated hens in search of a cock. 



