PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS 
Grey Phalarope. 
Tringa fulicaria, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 249. 
lobata, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 64. 
glacialis, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 675. 
Crymophilus rufus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. viii. p. 521. 
Phalaropus hiatus et glacialis, Lath. Ind. Orn., tom. ii. p. 776. 
griseus, Leach, Syst. Cat. of Indig. Mamm. and Birds in Brit. Mus., p. 34. 
platyrhynchos, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 1st edit. p. 459. 
fulicarius, Bonap. Geogr. and Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 54. 
rufescens, Keys. & Bias. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 73. 
ru/us, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl., tom. iv. p. 381. 
The accompanying Plate will give that portion of my readers who may not be intimately acquainted Avith 
this Phalarope a better idea of the bird than the most minute verbal description. It has obtained its trivial 
name of Grey from the circumstance of its being most commonly in its light winter dress when seen in this 
country, a costume widely different from that of spring and summer, represented on the annexed illustration. 
That the bird should be subject to so great a transformation is indeed astonishing ; but so it is, and, this 
being the case, it Avould have been quite as appropriate to call it the Red as the Grey Phalarope ; a trivial 
name, however, which has become universal cannot well be altered, or surely the summer or finest state of 
plumage ought to be indicated in its common designation ratber than tbe grey and unattractive one of winter. 
After these remarks on the name of this interesting species, I commence its history by asking. Of what 
country is it a native? and shall proceed to give all the information I have been able to collect respecting 
its habits and economy. Its true domicile is clearly not the British Islands ; neither does it pass the summer 
or breed to the southward of the arctic circle, except on rare occasions. Is it not, then, a native of that 
portion of our globe which has hitherto defied the energies of civilized man to penetrate, the extreme 
north, within that great belt of congelation of which we have as yet only reached the outer edge, })robably 
amid open waters studded with islands which afford congenial summer homes to many other birds whose 
true breeding-grounds yet remain to be discoA^ered (the Rosy Gull of Ross, the Sanderling, Grey Plover, 
&c.) ? Whoever may have the good fortune to lift this veil of mystery will, I believe, see tbe breeding- 
country of several of our AA’inter migrants. For if there be not such an asylum for these birds in the high 
northern regions, I know not Avhither they can betake themselves for the performance of the duty of repro- 
duction. The Grey Phalarope is said to breed in Iceland and Greenland, and on tbe North Georgian and 
Melville Islands. Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla have also been enumerated as among its breeding-places ; 
but all that could be produced in these localities would not be sufficient to form the great number of 
individuals that resort to countries further south during the period of winter, or for the Aast flights 
that every noAV and then are seen passing over Europe, Asia, and America. To England its visits are 
uncertain, and when it does come it is generally in small numbers ; but I am prepared to show that vast 
flights of these fairy-like birds do now and then arrive. Fairy-like, indeed, are these little travellers ; for the 
delicate white and grey colouring of their feathers, the tameness of their disposition, their elegant mode of 
flight, and chaff-like buoyancy as they topple on the Avaters like a reversed feather from a Swan’s breast, 
justifies such a comparison. The extreme tameness they display is alone sufficient to tell us that they have 
come from a country where man, not being a denizen, has neither impressed them Avlth fear, nor disturbed 
them in their breeding-quarters. They seem to have arrived from some blissful elysium where peace and 
quietude reign, and now for tbe first time to meet Avlth their greatest enemy and certain destroyer. Mr. 
Gatcombe informs me that a feAV Grey Phalaropes visit tbe coast of Devonshire almost every year, and may 
be found, if looked for, during tbe autumnal equinoxes, swimming in an elegant and graceful manner amid 
the patches of foam and weed collected just outside the breakers, nimbly searching for food, nodding their 
heads, and wheeling about like feathers on the water. At such times they are exceedingly regardless of 
man, and, if shot at and missed, will often give only a little spring in the air, and then resume their feeding 
as if nothing had happened. Some years ago an injmense flight of these birds appeared on the coasts of 
Devon and Cornwall, filling the bays and inlets all along the shore, and at times Avere seen in flocks running 
about the grass on the low cliffs like Sandpipers. A few were noticed on inland ponds and all kinds of 
strange places. So numerous Avere they in Plymouth Sound, that near tbe entrance of the CatAA'ater I 
saw a man shooting them with an old rusty musket, and cramming bis pockets full ; upon asking Avbat he 
