Haast. — On Phalaropus fulicarius. 279 



Art. XVII. — On the Occurrence of Phalaropus fulicarius, Pennant (the red 

 Phalarope), in New Zealand. By Julius von Haast, C.M.G., Ph.D., 

 F.B.S. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 15th November, 1883.] 

 The 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 flying 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 



