31 
cept at the tip, where it is black ; legs dull olive. Total length 8‘5 inches ; wing, from flexure, 5 ‘4 ; tail 2'3 ; 
1 , a oug the ridge -9, along the edge of lower mandible 1 j tarsus -75 ; middle toe and claw '95. 
ba -plumage. Differs from the female in being much duller in colour ; the crown, nape, and 
are black, marked with rusty or yellowish brown, all the feathers being margined with this colour, so 
only to allow the black to appear through here and there ; the white patch on the side of the face is 
a most obsolete, and the underparts are much duller in colour, the feathers on the lower abdomen being 
edged with white, 
plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in having the upper parts generally black and grey, and the 
erparts pure white; forehead, throat, neck, and entire under parts pure white; erown, nape, a narrow 
o\^n the back of the neck, and the fore part of the back black, slightly marked with whitish; on the 
feathers; back, rump, and scapulars dark French grey, intermixed with a few 
ac ish feathers, one or two of which latter are slightly margined with yellowish brown; wings as in the 
summer dress, but much blacker, the grey shade being almost absent ; through and behind the eyes a broad 
ac ish streak. Dill dark olive ; legs greyish olive. 
Ha few unimportant alterations and additions, 1 have availed myself of Mr. Dresser’s permission 
o use the excellent description of this species given in his ‘ Birds of Europe.’ 
1883^^^ hitherto recorded example of this Palsearctic species in New Zealand was shot, in June 
^^^^hael Studholme on the naii’ow strip of sandy beach which separates the 
mate lagoon from the sea. He observed it flying alone, without any companions ; and on dis- 
ernin^ that it was something new he sent the specimen to the Canterbury Museum. 
The late Sir Julius von Haast, who brought the occurrence under the notice of the Philosophical 
nstitute of Canterbury, gave the following interesting account of it * : — 
/o.oc I did not receive the bird in the flesh, but, judging from its total length 
inches), it is most probably a female. The plumage, fully agreeing with the descriptions of 
uropean and North-American specimens, proves that this Waimate example is in its breeding or fine 
ummer diess. The occurrence of this bird is, therefore, one of the most curious facts on record 
an addition to our New-Zealand avifauna; but as it resembles in general appearance, at least at a 
stance, some of our smaller Wading-birds, it may, although probably only an occasional straggler, 
nave hitherto escaped detection by our naturalists. 
in th fodowing remarks as to its habits and migrations may demonstrate this strange appearance 
Scotl hemisphere still more clearly. In winter the Grey Phalarope is found regularly in 
uud England, but not so frequently on the coasts of Germany, France, Italy, or North Africa. 
9'Ud ^if often been observed in the Black, as well as in the Japanese, Chinese, and Indian seas ; 
ins/ ^ essentially a marine bird, it winters regularly in some parts of the interior of Asia, as, for 
^ s ance, m Persia. It also occurs in the Arctic regions of America, leaving for the south when the 
, ^tumu faiily sets in, and travelling as far as Mexico and Guatemala. The occurrence of this 
u the southern hemisphere, as far as the latitude of New Zealand, is therefore very remarkable, 
especially in the middle of the arctic summer, and can only be accounted for by assuming that this 
for tl^^' Pi^obably a flock, had been driven southwards by stress of weather when the time arrived 
to their home in Eastern Siberia or Western North America. However, the most 
ous act is that the specimen before us is in its most brilliant summer or breeding-dress, and quite 
all oi the year when it is breeding in the arctic regions ; while, according to 
in the^*^'^"'*^* accessible to me, it has always been observed after its emigration to its winter-quarters 
instea/^f^^ southern regions to be clothed in its more sober white and ash- coloured winter dress, 
0 the rich rufous and black tints our specimen possesses so conspicuously.” 
* Trans. N.-Z. Inst. vol. xvi. p. 279. 
