36 THE BIRDS OF IsORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



the end of the said list wrote: — "Red-necked Pha- 

 larope in summer plumage (or nearly so) ; all, I 

 expect, from the Mere," i. e. Whittlesea. I admit 

 that the above is but slender evidence as to the 

 occurrence of this species in our district, but I know 

 that the majority of the rare birds collected by the 

 late Doctor Strong of Thorpe Hall were obtained 

 from the neighbouring fens, and as there is no great 

 improbability in this instance, I give the story as it 

 came to me. 



Although this species still breeds in some 

 abundance in the Hebrides and Shetland, and has 

 only of late years been exterminated by senseless 

 collectors in the Orkney Islands, its recorded visits 

 to England on migration are very rare in comparison 

 with those of the Grey Phalarope. As I never had 

 the pleasure of seeing the Red-necked Phalarope 

 alive, I must again refer my readers to more fortunate 

 authors. In general habits, coloiu* of eggs, food, 

 relative size and coloration of the sexes, it seems that 

 this bird much resembles the Grey Phalarope, but 

 it is a smaller bird, with a more slender bill, the 

 difference between its summer and winter dress is 

 far less remarkable, and it appears to prefer the 

 vicinity of fresh water to that of the sea. Both 

 species of Phalarope swim with the greatest ease ; in 

 the case of the Grey Phalarope mentioned as seen by 

 us in the Bay of Biscay, the attitude reminded me 

 much of that of a Teal with the head and neck drawn 

 in and slightly thrown back. I should imagine that 

 there would be but little difficulty in keeping Pha- 

 laropes in captivity in a roomy and well-watered 

 aviary, and most certainly it would not be easy to 

 meet with more interesting or graceful little birds. 



