The Zoologist — Novembek, 1874. 4219 



A rushy spot about a hundred yards in length is the only one where 

 the birds are seen. For a time Dr. Saxby was unsuccessful in a 

 kind of desultory search in this "rushy spot"; but, convinced that 

 eggs were to be found, he put on his considering cap, and standing 

 up to his knees in mud and water, determined not to leave a single 

 stone unturned,— that is, a single square yard unexplored,— until 

 the prize he so ardently coveted was safe in his possession. 



"Now at the other end of the swamp, where there seemed to be no 

 birds, was a quantity of drier ground covered with moderately long withered 

 grass, and intersected in every direction by numerous irregular natural 

 drains, some not more than three feet wide, others as many yards, but all 

 forming a net-work so close and intricate as to leave no piece of dry land 

 larger than ten or twelve feet across. Again I set to work, not it is true 

 with any great hope of success, because I had fully resolved to examine the 

 whole of the swamp, so that in case of failure there might at least be no 

 after reproaches. Very soon I discovered what my error had been. First, 

 I found a rough sort of nest, composed of dry grass, too small and too deep 

 for a dunhus, therefore in all probability that of a phalarope; then within 

 a few minutes I discovered two more nests newly commenced, but no ec"s. 



•J ' DO 



Shortly afterwards I picked up the broken shell of a newlj-hatched egg, 

 then fragments of three others, and close beside them a perfect nest. 

 I carefully packed the fragments iu a chip-box, in order to convince 

 sceptics, and then noted down the description of the ne^t. It consisted of 

 nothing more than a cavity low down among the tall grass, deep in form, 

 and rather neatly lined with blades of the same, most of which were broad 

 and flat ; at the bottom they formed a bed almost half an inch in thickness ; 

 from the upper surface of this bed to the rim of the nest the height was 

 nearly three inches, the width across the inner rim a little less than two 

 inches. Very shortly afterwards a male phalarope rose unexpectedly and 

 alighted iu the water about ten yards off. Marking the spot as closely as 

 possible, I floundered through the muddy water, scrambled upon the little 

 island, and soon afterwards, to my intense delight, discovered a nest and 

 four beautiful eggs, all lying with their small ends meeting in the centre. 

 They were hard-set, but for all that they were a most valuable prize. The 

 nest only differed from the last in having a few feathers, apparently from 

 the breast of one of the birds, lying loosely iuside. After this I quartered 

 about for a considerable time, and in the best of good tempers. I found 

 some more half-finished nests and a few more deserted ones, and finally 

 I discovered yet another nest containing four eggs, and another with a single 

 one, all quite fresh. Oddly enough, in this part of the swamp I saw but 

 the one bird already mentioned, while in the further part, among the 

 rushes, they were, as^I have stated, abundant. I can only account for 



