644 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



nearly to tip of upper mandible. Other structure as in Grey 

 Phalarope. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Distinguished from Grey Phalarope 

 by slender tapering bill, only slightly flattened ; and from other 

 waders by partially webbed feet, anterior toes with a lobed lateral 

 membrane. 



Field-characters. — Distinguished from Grey Phalarope in breed- 

 ing season by black bill, bright chestnut neck, white chin, under- 

 pays and small but conspicuous spot over eye. In winter dress 

 nape and streak through eye are dusky-brown, back not pearly as 

 in Grey, but dark grey freckled with white, whilst tail is longer 

 and pointed. Call a soft " pleep, pleep." Gladstone describes 

 alarm-note as a hoarse " chiss-ick," and Aplin speaks of a short 

 " quit," a rapid " ket-ket ket-ket " and " chirra-chirra-chirra " at 

 nesting-places. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts marshy ground, islets in rivers and 

 lakes, etc. Nest. — A hollow in tussock of grass, lined with grasses 

 and water-weeds, usually within easy reach of water. Eggs. — 

 Normally 4, but sometimes 3 only, while 6 and 7 have been found 

 in single nests, pyriform in shape, stone-colour to olive or greenish 

 in ground with bold irregular blackish markings. Average of 100 

 eggs, 29.6x20.9. Max. : 31.6x21 and 31 X 22.2. Min. : 26.7 X 19.7 

 and 27 X 19.6 mm. Breeding-season. — End May and early June in 

 British Isles ; late June and early July in N. Lapland. Incubation. 

 — By male alone. Period about 14 days (Hantzsch), about 18 days 

 (Gladstone). Most probably single brooded but fresh eggs may be 

 found even in July. 



Food. — Chiefly insects and their larvae picked up from surface of 

 water, very small coleoptera and diptera. Also larvae of Phry- 

 ganeidae, minute mollusca (Limnma) and small worms. 

 Distribution. — British Isles. — Summer -resident (3rd week May- 

 Aug.) and vagrant. Breeds in limited numbers Orkneys, Shetlands, 

 0. Hebrides, Tiree (I. Hebrides) and one locality west of Ireland. 

 Elsewhere vagrant, occurring most frequently (but rarely) south 

 and east coasts England, very rarely west coast and very rarely 

 Scotland, except at breeding-haunts, and only three times Ireland 

 outside breeding-locality. Exceptionally inland. Usually in 

 autumn (1st week Sept. to mid-Nov.), occasionally winter and 

 spring (mid-May to mid- June). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Nests in northern regions of both hemi- 

 spheres, though more southward than Grey Phalarope ; breeding 

 as far south as Iceland, Faeroes, central Norway and south Green- 

 land ; Russia (according to Buturlin south to Baltic States, 

 Moscow, Perm, Orenburg, Uralsk, but this requires confirmation), 

 east to Commander Is., in N. America from Alaska to Aleutian 

 Islands, Yukon river, north Mackenzie, central Keewatin, south 

 James Bay and north Ungava. Migrates through Europe to Azores 



