332 PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLjE. 



This species, known among writers botli as tlie Gray and as tlie Ked-neeked Pliala- 

 i-ope — tlie one name having been suggested by its winter plumage, the other by the 

 bright colors which adorn its summer dress — is common to both continents, breeding 

 in the high Arctic regions of Asia, Europe, and America in the early summer, and 

 from August to the latter part of May wandering irregularly over a large portion of 

 the northern hemisphere. 



Ml'. E. Swinhoe mentions having i)rocm'ed specimens of this bird in November 

 near Ape"s Hill, in Formosa. It was sitting and floating, washing itself in a little 

 stream, and its movements are spoken of as being both pleasing and graceful. At 

 Tamsay, March 14, he procvired three others from a flock which was feeding- on the 

 shoals of the river ; and he afterward met with this species on the Island of Hainan. 

 As he was leaving Hnng-pe, four of these birds flew toward the ship and sat floating 

 on the water close to her. He afterward, April 4, on the shore of the Lunchow 

 Peuinsxda, saw another, which he secured. A single specimen is said (" Ibis," 1867, 

 13. 169) to have been taken by Mr. Wallace in one of the Arru Islands. The natural- 

 ists of Perry's Expedition to Japan procured specimens of this bird from the Island 

 of Niphoii. 



Although a northern bird in its lireeding, this species makes its ajifiearauce in 

 warmer regions immediately upon the close of its season of reproduction. Mr. Salviu 

 met with four of this species at Duefias, in Guatemala, in August, 1859. They had 

 apparently but just arrived, and were swimming slowly about on the lake, picking at 

 the weeds, and showing the usual absence of timidity jieculiar to these birds. 



Middendorff sjieaks of this species as being abundant in Siberia, and includes it in 

 his list of those birds which penetrate to the extreme north. Von Heuglin found it 

 at the beginning of September on Nova Zembla, ali'eady dressed in its autumnal plu- 

 mage ; also on Waygatz Island, where, it was gathered in family parties of six or more, 

 on shallow fresh-water pools. Mr. C. W. Shepherd found it breeding in great numbers 

 on the small islands in the Lake of My-vatu, in the north of Iceland. The young 

 birds — " tiny little pieces of animated wool "' — were very beautiful ; and the old 

 birds were so tame that they were cauglit in the landing-net like butterflies, as they 

 flew around, while the hens sat still, brooding their little ones within a few feet 

 of him. 



Professor Newton also mentions ttnding this bird very common all over Iceland, 

 on all the ponds and lakes, arriving late in May, and at once beginning the duties of 

 nidification. On one occasion, in the month of June, he saw a flock of at least a 

 hundred sitting on the surf, between the breaking waves and the shore. 



Although Mr. Wheelwright found this species far more common in Scandinavia 

 than the fulicanu^, he does not think that they breed any^^•here excepting in the 

 Lapland fell-valleys. They breed commonly at Quickiok. The eggs, four in number, 

 he describes as being of a pale olive-green, color, and covered with large and small 

 black-brown spots. He found but little difference between the eggs of this species 

 and those of the fulicarius, except that the latter are slightly larger. 



Yarrell states that this bird is much less rare in England than the Red of the 

 same species ; but the latter is more common in the northern islands of Scotland. 

 Mr. Salmon, who visited the Orkneys in the summer of 1831, says of this bird, as 

 quoted by Yarrell : " This beautiful little bird appeared to be very tame ; although 

 we shot two pair, those that were swimming about did not take the least notice of 

 the report of the gun ; and they seemed to be much attached to each other, for when 

 one of them flew to a short distance, the other directly followed ; and while I held a 

 female that was wounded, in my hand, its mate came and fluttered before my face. 



