The Zoologist— July, 18()9. 1749 



Phalaropodid.e. 

 Red /V/^/rtro/je, Plialaropiis i"Lilicarius(L2//«.) — Visits Newfoundlaiul 

 gencM'ally in the month of June, and is soiiieliraes tolerably common, 

 bnt I doubt whether il breeds on the island. This is undoubtedly our 

 old Iriend Phalaropus lobatus in its nuptial dress, and the American 

 authors have done well in restoring to it the Linnean name of fuli- 

 carius, because it is yet a matter of doubt whether the Tringa lobata 

 of Linnaeus in Syslemge Naturae ever applied, or was intended to 

 apply, to this species. It is the only species of phalarope 1 got in 

 Newfoundland, and was called by the settlers the " gale bird." It is 

 wonderful to watch these pretty and delicate-looking little birds swim- 

 ming and taking their tiny food from the crests of waves that would 

 "swamp" any boat and many schooners. They are very tame, and 

 swim almost within arm's length of the rocks, giving one the idea that 

 the next immense wave which is fast approaching will cast them on 

 shore, or smash them against the rocks : at such times it takes a quick 

 shot to kill them on the ^ater. 



ScOLOPAClDiK. 



European Woodcock, ^aAo'pa.x rusticola, Linn. — A single specimen 

 is said to have been killed in tlie neighboinhood of St. John's, in 

 January, 1862 (See 'Ibis,' 186-2, pp. 284, 285). If no deception has 

 been practised here, it is certainly a ver}- extraordinary capture, as is 

 also that of another specimen since taken near New York. To those 

 who have spent an\' length of time on the coast of North America, the 

 problem of the occurrence of so many American birds in Europe is 

 soon solved : it is undoubtedly caused by the prevalence, especially in 

 the fall, of great galvs of westerly winds, which probably take most of 

 our American stragglers off' the east coast of Newfoundland ; bnt how 

 to account for the appearance of two stray specimens of S. rusticola 

 being killed in America — far apart, but in each case near a populous 

 city, and by those so well up in ornithological literature as to be 

 aware of the value of such captures, presents a difficulty by no means 

 so easily disposed of. Of course il is probable that land birds may 

 occasionally gel blown off" our west coasts by rough easterly winds, 

 but it is equally probable that before they had gone one-third across 

 the Atlantic the}' would take the wind dead ahead, which would cause 

 them to 'bout ship and be thankful for a fair breeze home. It does 

 not require a great stretch of the imagination to account for the 



