OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 197 



blotched and spotted with rich dark brown, and a few underlying 

 markings of pale brown. They measure on an average i"2 5 inch 

 in length by '87 inch in breadth. In this species the female 

 bird is the most brilliant in colour, and she not only conducts the 

 courtship, but leaves the male to incubate the eggs. The young 

 are hatched early in July, and about a month or six weeks after 

 this event the breeding places are deserted, and the birds repair 

 to the open sea, forming into flocks for the winter. 



Diagnostic Characters. — Phalaropus, with the bill short 

 and wide, and the central rectrices more than half an inch longer 

 than the outermost ones. In breeding plumage the entire under- 

 parts are rich chestnut. Length, 8 inches. 



