LOBIPES HYPERBOREUS. 
Red-necked Phalarope. 
Tringa lohata (pt.), Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 64. 
hyperhorea, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 249. 
fusca, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 675. 
Phalaropus hyperboreus et fuscus, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 775. 
cinerascens et mfieollis, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. ii. p. 203. 
angustirostris, Naum. Vog. DeutschL, 1836, tom. viii. p. 240, tab. 205. 
cinereus, Briss. Orn., tom. vi. p. 15. 
fVilliamsii, Simm. in Linn. Trans., yol. viii. p. 264. 
Lobipes hyperboreus, Cuv. Reg. Anim., 1829, tom. i. p. 532. 
When Bullock visited the Orkneys in 1813, and Mr. Salmon in 1831, this species was an abundant summer 
resident on those islands : but at this period (1866) it probably no longer resorts there ; for Mr. J. H. Dunn 
writes, “ The bird has been extirpated in Orkney by collectors and the improvement of agi'iculture.” I am 
sure that there is no one of my readers but will share with me in regretting the expulsion of so beautiful 
and interesting a creature from the British Islands. Is there no living proprietor in Orkney that will guard 
a morass from future interlopers and entice this speeies back again ? If this were done, the laudable act, 
I am sure, would be rewarded by success. A little further north the bird is still abundant, and Iceland 
would satisfy the cravings of the egg-collector for the next century ; if not, there are Greenland, Norway, and 
Lapland to fall hack upon, for in those countries it still breeds in comparative safety. 
It would be natural to suppose that a bird whose breeding-quarters are so near at hand would be plentiful 
in England during the autumn and winter months ; yet this is not the case; for the Red-necked Phalarope is 
at this season less common than the Grey, whose country of reproduction is almost unknown, but which is, 
doubtless, in the far north. The range of this species is much greater than that of its ally, and I question 
if there be any part of the world too distant for its winter visits. I have seen specimens from California, 
Mexico, Guatemala, and the coast of Chili, and also from China and India. 
In England it has been killed in many eounties ; and if it be not included in the work of Thompson on the 
‘ Birds of Ireland,’ it must be that the bird has not as yet attracted the notice of the ornithologists of that 
country, for assuredly it must now and then oecur there. Writing to me respecting this bird, Mr. Bond says, 
“ The first specimen I ever had was shot by a friend of mine in September 1842, near Southend, Essex, where 
he saw the Phalarope swimming on the water, like a little Duck, about a mile from land : not knovving what 
it was, he shot it, and kindly brought it to me ; it is in the grey or winter plumage. I have also a very 
handsome male, in summer plumage, shot while running between the metals on the Great Eastern Railway, 
near the Stratford Station, early in June 1852.” This is the nearest to London I have known of one being 
obtained. Mr. Stevenson informs me that “ This species, always considered much more rare on the 
Norfolk coast than the Grey Phalarope, has of late years become extremely so ; indeed I know of but four 
specimens killed in this country during the last fifteen years. It is, however, very remarkable that a bird, 
generally so scarce and irregular in its visits, should have appeared on the same parts of our coast in the 
three successive autumns of 1846, 1847, and 1848.” 
The following interesting account of this elegant little sj)eeies is from the pen of the late Mr. St. John ; and 
its perusal will, I am sure, impress my readers with a desire to see, at least once in their lives, the bird in a 
state of nature, and induce them to excuse me for reprinting it in the present work : — 
“ The Red-necked Phalarope is certainly the most beautiful little wader of my acquaintance. There were 
a pair of them, male and female, feeding near the locb, in a little pool whieh was covered with weeds of 
different kinds. Nothing could be more graceful than the movements of these two little birds as they 
swam about in search of insects, &c. Sometimes they ran lightly on the broad leaves of the Water-lily, 
which served them for a raft, and entirely kept them out of the water. Though not exaetly web-footed, 
the Phalarope swims with the greatest ease. The attachment of these two birds to each other seemed 
very great ; whenever in their search for food they wandered so far apart as to be hidden by the inter- 
vening Aveeds, the male bird stopped feeding suddenly and, looking round, uttered a low and musical call of 
inquiry, which was immediately answered by the female in a different note, but perfectly expressive of her 
ansAver, which one might suppose to be to the purport that she was at hand and quite safe ; on hearing her 
the male immediately recommenced feeding, but at the same time making his way towards her ; .she also 
flew to meet him : they then joined company for a moment or tAvo, and after a few little notes of endear- 
