GREY PHALAROPE.
PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS.
THE first Grey Phalarope I met with was discoverer!, one stormy evening in September 1868, swimming in a
pool of water in a marsh ndjuining the banks of the river Lyon, in Gleulyon, in the west of Perthshire. Tins
part of the country is nearly fifty miles from the sea-eoast, so the poor little bird must have been driven a
long distance inland by the gab', u liieb would account for its weakened condition, as it paid little or no attention
when approached within a yard or two, I was anxious to procure the stranger as a specimen, and as the
daylight had rapidly faded into darkness, it was by no means an easy matter to get a chance of securing it;
with the assistance of a keeper, however, I soon met with success. The man remained near the pool, while I
took up a position about twenty-five yards off, and he then pointed out to the best of his ability wdiere
the bird was resting and withdrew a few yards. Aiming at the spot as well as I could judge, both barrels
of the gun were discharged, and the unfortunate w anderer was found dead, floating on the surface of the water,
when we reached the pool.
On the 2!5rd of September. 1870, while fishing for silver whiting about a mile from the shore oil' Brighton,
during a strong breeze from the east, I caught sight of a lightly marked Grey Phalarope swimming and drifting
over the waves at a great pace with the tide. The breaking of the surf now and then forced the bird to rise
and hover on wing for a moment and alight again on the surface of the water. Drawing in the line that held
our small boat, we went, on board, and soon came up with and secured the little bird, which proved to be a
juvenile in plumage of the first autumn.
On a stormy morning after a very rough night during the first week in October 1S70, I happened to bo
over at Shoreham soon after daybreak, and met with a great number of Phalaropee along the shore between the
Norfolk bridge and Lancing. Several were swimming in the oyster-ponds and running about in the grass
fields inside the shingle-banks ; others paddled about in any small puddles they could liud, where the rainwater
had collected iu the fields ami m u-shes wiihui half a mile of the shore. There were also hundreds passing
along the coast, flying towards the west, alighting now ami ibcn among the breakers, when still unruffled water
could be met with, and resting for a few moments to recruit their strength. Many were so fatigued by exposure
to the long-continued gale, that they were utterly uuable to proceed on their journey; several I picked up
were in the last gasp, and about half a dozen were dead and cold. 'Ibis large flight, performing their annual
migration, must have been passing the south coast for a fortnight at least: on tine days with a light wind few
would he seen ; should the breeze freshen, and a gale of w hid set in, they would again put in an appearance,
exhibiting signs uf distress from the effects of the sei erity of the weather.
The two most handsome specimens I secured at this time were discovered flitting over and alighting
occasionally among the breakers rolling on to the heath at Brighton, just to the west of the new pier, on the
Kith of October, lKTtV Several fishermen and hoys were flinging stoues at them, but the fearless birds took
not the slightest notice, unless the spray of the water was driven over them, when they only fluttered a yard or