SC'OLOPACIDJE. 
s:o 
GRA LLA TORES. SCOL OP A OILS. 
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 
PhALABOPUS HYPEEBOEE17S. 
PLATE CIV. FIG. I. 
This very elegant species is, I believe, in this country 
confined, during the breeding season, to the islands of 
Orkney, near the fresh-water lakes of which it makes its 
nest. Mr. Salmon, who explored them in search of eggs, 
has given an account of his visit to those islands in the 
Magazine of Natural History , from which I extract the 
the following particulars :—“ This beautiful little bird ap¬ 
peared to be very tame ; although we shot two pairs, those 
that were swimming about did not take the least notice 
of the report of the gun : and they seemed to be much at¬ 
tached to each other, for when one of them flew to a short 
distance, the other directly followed; and while I held a 
female that was wounded in my hand, its mate came and 
fluttered before my face. We were much gratified in 
watching the motions of these elegant little creatures, as 
they kept swimming about, and were for ever dipping 
their bills in the water ; and so intent were they upon 
their occupation, that they did not take the least notice 
of us, although within a few yards of them. After some 
little difficulty, we were fortunate in finding their nests, 
which were placed in small tufts of grass growing close to 
the edge of the loch ; they were formed of dry grass, and 
