380 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
winter of 1828-1829. This bird passed into the possession 
of Mr. John D. Murray, of Murray thwaite, and " had nearly 
attained its perfect winter plumage, retaining only a few 
black and reddish markings."* 
Sir WiUiam Jardine, writing in 1842, says of this species : 
" a few have come under our notice freshly killed 
both from the Firth of Forth and from the Solway, 
all during winter, or when they had attained their complete, 
or nearly complete grey plumage. "t A specimen " from the 
Solway Firth," recorded thus in the Catalogue of the Birds 
contained in the collection of Sir William Jardine, subsequently 
passed into the Royal Scottish Museum. Mr. W. G. Gibson, 
writing from Dumfries, on December 17th, 1856, records : 
" A very fine male specimen of this bird was shot this 
week in a neighbouring parish, about sixteen miles from the 
Solway."t 
In 1866 three Grey Phalaropes are recorded as having 
been obtained at the mouth of the Nith § ; but Sir William 
Jardine states in a MS. note in his personal copy of the 
Naturalist's Library :— " Mr. Hastings, Dumfries, has received 
several specimens killed. Brow on Solway — six or seven — 
in the grey state but having the back marked as in the 
summer plumage — all procured month of October, 1866.' 
In the winters of 1873-1874 and 1874-1875 many specimens 
are stated to have been killed on the banks of the Nith near 
Dumfries. 1 1 A pair was shot by Mr. Jonah Murray at Priest- 
side (Cummertrees) on October 23rd, 1887 ; one of these 
birds was given to Mr. J. Harkness, of Newfieldbum, 
Ruthwell, the other to Mr. John Kennedy, who gave it to 
Mr. R. Service. Mr. J. Harkness informs me that an example 
was picked up on the railway-line near Ruthwell Station in 
October, 1890. Another was shot at Portrack (Holy wood) 
* Mag. Nat. Hist., 1829, Vol. II., p. 282. 
t Nat. Lib., 1842, Vol. XII., p. 266. 
+ Naturalist, 1857, Vol. VII., p. 32. 
§ Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, December 4th, 1866. 
II Hist. Berwick. Nat. Club., Vol. VII., p. 259. 
