58 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and come together into a flock, it seems to have formed itself out 

 of nothing. The first flight (remarked by me) was at 8, perhaps, 

 and, at about 9.30, there was another one. They have a pretty 

 appearance, owing to the glancing of whatever there is of white 

 in their small bodies, and the motion, too, is soft and graceful. 



Do Phalaropes dive ? The answer, as given by the lobed toes, 

 would seem to be Yes, but, looking at them, one would not think 

 so. They do not seem sufficiently aquatic birds for that. 

 Nevertheless they must, for one or other of them will, from time 

 to time, disappear in a manner which does not allow of another 

 explanation. One of a pair just now, for instance, that I had 

 the glasses full upon, was, all at once, not there. But I have 

 not yet succeeded in seeing one go down. 



The little flights are now becoming more frequent. First one 

 bird will make a little scud over the water, then another, and 

 then, all at once, the whole of them — perhaps a dozen — and all 

 sweep together and delicately skim away. One bird has just 

 flown close up to another one on the water, this other, a 

 moment afterwards, flying a few yards off, and coming down 

 again. I do not know if a peck, administered, had anything to 

 do with this, but it is not at all necessary to suppose so. I have 

 only once, up to now (11.55 a.m.) observed anything of the 

 rotary motion, on the part of one bird only, and then it was very 

 undeveloped, and lasted only a few seconds. 



Besides Phalaropes in the water are Whimbrels on the 

 shore, and these seem to bear the former no good will, for one 

 has just flown out over the water with a hostile demonstration 

 above them, which, for a moment or two, seemed as if it would 

 develop into an actual attack. One of them evidently thought 

 that it would, and, conceiving itself to be threatened, gave a 

 violent start on the water, the points of its wings flashing out 

 unevenly, in a dishevelled manner. This might be taken as 

 evidence that the Phalarope does not dive, or surely this 

 frightened bird would have done so. The Whimbrel, however, 

 only flew just over him, and a little beyond, and then returned 

 to his coterie. It was a sort of threatening stoop and demonstra- 

 tion, but for what precise reason it would be difficult to say ; I 

 have, indeed, a suspicion that there was none, but this is only a 

 provisional hypothesis. 



