Haast.—On Phalaropus fulicarius. 279 
Art. XVII.—On the Occurrence of Phalaropus fulicarius, Pennant (the red 
Phalarope), in New Zealand. By JuLtus von Haast, C.M.G., Pa.D., 
F.R.S. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 15th November, 1883.) 
Tre Canterbury Museum has lately received from Mr. M. Studholme of 
Waimate a small bird, shot about middle of June of this year on the 
narrow strip of sandy beach separating the Waimate lagoon from the ocean. 
It was fiying alone without any companions. 
On examination it proved to be a specimen of Phalaropus fulicarius, a 
truly arctic species, quite new to the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately 
I did not receive the bird in the flesh, but judging from its total length 
(8:25 inches), it is most probably a female. The plumage, fully agreeing 
with the descriptions of European and North American specimens, proves 
that this Waimate specimen is in its breeding or fine summer dress. The 
occurrence of this bird is, therefore, one of the most curious facts on record 
as an addition to our New Zealand avi-fauna; but as it resembles in general 
appearance, at least at a distance, some of our smaller Gralla, it may, al- 
though probably only an occasional straggler, have hitherto escaped detec- 
tion by our naturalists. 
The following remarks as to its habits and migrations may demon- 
strate this strange appearance in the southern hemisphere still more 
clearly. 
In winter the red Phalarope is found regularly in Scotland and England, 
but not so frequently on the coasts of Germany, France, Italy, or North 
Africa. In Asia it has often been observed in the Black, as well as in the 
Japanese, Chinese, and Indian Seas; and, though essentially a marine 
bird, it winters regularly in some parts of the interior of Asia, as for 
instance in Persia. 
It also occurs in the arctic regions of America, leaving for the south 
when the arctic autumn fairly sets in, and travelling as far as Mexico and 
Guatemala. 
The occurrence of this bird in the southern hemisphere, as far as the 
latitude of New Zealand, is therefore very remarkable, especially in the 
middle of the arctic summer, and can only be accounted for by assuming 
that this bird, or more probably a flock, have been driven southwards by 
stress of weather when the time arrived for their returning to their home in 
Eastern Siberia or Western North America. 
However, the most curious fact is, that the specimen before us is in its 
most brilliant summer or breeding dress, and quite in accordance with the 
time of the year when it is breeding in the arctic regions ; while according 
