THE ZooLocist—OctoseEr, 1872. 3251 
78. Phalaropus hyperboreus, Linn. Rednecked Phalarope. 
Native name, Helsareji.—Svabo names this bird Tringa lobata, 
and mentions that it lays four eggs. Landt also calls it Tringa 
lobata, and thus writes about it: “In Faroese: Helsareji’ is the 
same as that called by the Icelanders ‘Odinshane.’ This pretty 
bird, which is web-footed, is not seen in common. It builds its 
nest near inland pieces of water, but in spring it frequents the sea- 
coast, and for the most part is found on floating heaps of sea-ware ; 
in this case it is considered by the fishermen as an indication of 
bad weather.” Wolley writes, “The rednecked phalarope (P. 
hyperboreus) we only found in one remarkably swampy little valley, 
where also bred dunlins and golden plover.” Herr Miiller records 
it as a regular spring visitant, breeding in the islands. In July, 
1869, he received a nest with four eggs from Kaalbak, Stromoe, 
nearly ready to hatch. The rednecked phalarope appeared to be 
extremely abundant in Feroe this spring, though I was not fortu- 
nate enough to find it nesting, or indeed to see it anywhere but on 
the sea. We came across a pair at sea between the Great Dimon 
and the island of Skuoe, on the Ist June: a heavy sea was running 
at the time, but these little birds rode on the top of the waves with 
apparent ease and comfort; we in the boat were drenched to the 
skin. I received a pair, shot on the sea near Thorshavn, on the 
2nd June. I saw other three that were killed on the sea near 
Thorshavn by a Swedish nobleman during the middle of June, and 
on the 18th June I saw another pair that had been killed at sea, 
off the island of Osteroe. The stomachs of those I examined were 
full of a yellow substance, probably the remains of minute shrimps 
or marine insects. It is evident that a considerable number of this 
species visit the Feroe Islands for the purpose of reproduction, 
for all the specimens I saw had been killed in a very limited area, 
and no doubt they are equally distributed throughout the islands. 
No writer with whom I am acquainted has given a complete life- 
history of this most charming and interesting bird. We are aware 
that it appears in the Outer Hebrides (formerly in the Orkneys 
and Sutherlandshire), in the Feroes, Iceland, and many other 
northern regions, as if by magic, about the end of May; it 
incubates, rears its young and is away from its breeding-places by 
August: many are shot on the coasts of Britain and Europe during 
the autumnal migration, but I am unaware where the great body of 
them take up their winter quarters. 
