MORE WADERS 73 



The Black-tailed Godwit is, comparatively speak^ 

 ing, rare. Why it has been named Black-tailed I do 

 not know, for it has as much white as black about it. 



The little coot-footed swimmers known by the 

 name of the Grey Phalaropes are feathered wonders, 

 being found far out at sea, numbers of them busily 

 engaged on masses of floating sea-weeds, running 

 nimbly over them, feeding or floating like corks, 

 hundreds of miles from land. This nimble swimmer 

 breeds far north, as far as it can get, and immense 

 numbers visit us now and again ; and so exhausted 

 are these fowls at times, after continued storms, that 

 they will permit themselves to be caught by the 

 hand. In the year 1866 a large flight appeared 

 round the eastern and southern coasts, and in 

 September 1870 hundreds were found near Brighton 

 after a heavy south-east gale. They would not have 

 come like that if they had not been forced by winds 

 and waves to do so ; the wonder is that the small 

 innocent creatures were able to reach our shores 

 alive. They look like large grey-and-white moths 

 hovering over the breakers — small swimmers for 

 such wide waters. When sea-birds float in, battered 

 to death by wind and water, there are heavy hearts 

 in fishing quarters if boats are out. There is only 

 one hope left, and that is that they may have made 

 harbour somewhere. 



In summer this little Coot-foot is very different, 

 for the upper parts are dark brown edged with 

 yellowish-red, the lower parts light red. The 

 beautiful little bird has been found swimming and 



