GREY PHALAROPE. 
2G7 
they are in an intermediate state, or in the plumage 
of the young. In Ireland, Mr. Thompson states it 
to be “ a rare hut occasional autumnal visitant.” 
In Europe it also occurs sparingly, chiefly towards 
the north ; but its true and proper range seems to 
be near the Arctic Circle, or in very northern lati- 
tudes, Iceland and Greenland, &c. It is mentioned 
by nearly all the Arctic voyagers as frequenting 
many of the groups of islands visited by them, where 
they were often found breeding. Siberia and the 
north of Asia are also given to it by Pennant. 
So far as they have been observed on our coasts, 
their manners have somewhat resembled those of 
the sandpipers, exhibiting a little less activity, and 
being occasionally seen swimming about the pools 
on the shore. Marine life of various kinds supplies 
them with nourishment. In the northern latitudes 
they are frequently met with far out at sea, in one 
instance out of sight of land ; and it is for the cap- 
ture of the immense profusion of minute animals 
which crowd the Arctic waters, that we believe the 
more developed structure of the bill is provided.* 
In the plumage of the breeding season, a specimen 
before us from Arctic America, has the sides and 
fore part of the neck, and entire under parts, of a 
deep and uniform brownish-orange, of an opaque 
appearance from the dense and compact nature of 
* Mr. Audubon found them gregarious (during winter), on 
the Ohio, swimming along the margin, and picking up seeds 
of grasses ; also at sea, far from land, assembling in hundreds, 
on banks of sea-weed. They proved excellent eating. 
