SCOLOPACID.E. 315 



June 7th, 1869 (J. G., Zool. 1869, p. 1920). Mr, J. H. Giirncy received 

 this bird Irora Mr. Gatcombe and 1ells us it is a perfect specimen. In an 

 annotated copj^ of Dr. E. Moore's List of Devonshire Birds, lent to us by 

 Mr. Gatcombe, we found the following entry concerning this species: — 

 " liolitho had a specimen in winter plumage, shot near Bovisand." This 

 must have been the example obtained in 1831 mentioned above, and 

 ajipears to have been killed in the autumn. 



In September 1881, a Ked-necked Phalarope, in winter plumage, was 

 shot on Dosmare Pool, on the Bodmin Moors. Mr. J. Gatcombe saw this 

 bird in a bird-stuffer's shop at Liskeard (Zool. 1881, p. 197). In the 

 Truro Museum we saw one almost in complete summer plumage, which 

 had been received from Looe. The Ked-necked Phalarope has been ob- 

 tained on other occasions in Cornwall, and on the Scilly Isles, generally in 

 October. "We have no record of one from Somerset, and in Dorset it 

 occurs very rarely in cora])any with flocks of the Grey Phalarope. 



The Ilcd-necked Phalarope is described as being an exceedingly tame 

 and confiding bird, utterly fearless of man, and as swimming with case 

 and grace, resembling a miniature duck. On the Orkney Islands it is said 

 to have been exterminated to satisfj- the greed of collectors ; but in the 

 Hebrides, where it is still permitted to survive, it places its cup-shaped 

 nest, composed of grass and a fine kind of reed, close to the edge of some 

 pond or lake. In Mr. Di'esser's beautifully illustrated 'Birds of Europe,' 

 vol. vii,, there is a very pretty picture of a pair of Eed-necked Phalaropes, 

 attended by their freshly-hatched young. Mr. W. Theobald, late Deputy 

 Superintendent, Geological Survey of India, kindly informed us that this 

 species was obtained in Madras in 1854. 



Grey Phalarope. Phalaro;pus fuUcarius (Liun.). 



[Coot-footed Sandpiper.] 



A passing visitor, usually in autumn, appearing about the middle or 

 end of September and in October, remaining occasionally till December or 

 January. This Phalarope is seldom seen in spring, and is generally met 

 with on, or near, the coast, rarely far inland. 



A slightly larger and more northern S])ecies, and going by the name of 

 the Grey Phalarope, because it is usually observed on our coasts in its 

 grey winter plumage, this species might well be termed the Eed Phalarope, 

 if we named it in accordance with its dress in summer. As hardly an 

 autumn passes without a few being noticed it might almost be considered 

 a regular visitant, and in some years, when violent south-westerly gales 

 l)low in Sej)tcmber or October, the migrating flocks on their passage south 

 are driven into the English and Jlristol Cliannels, and are noticed in great 

 numbers along the .sea-shore. Tliese ])relty little tempest-toss'-'d wan- 

 derers meet with the usual hospitalitj* accorded to "rare Itirds," and aro 

 shot down, or stoned to dcatli, while they are vainly seeking .shelter on 

 the beach. We have fre(|ueiitly had the pleasure of seeing tliem on the 

 iJarnstaplc river in September and October, either single birds or two or 



