OF NORTH AMERICA. 55 
65. RED PHALAROPE. WHALE-BIRD. 
Crymophilus fulicarius. 
The adult birds, in summer, are nearly 
uniform wine-color on the under sides, and 
the top of the head is almost black. The 
rump is white, and the sides of the head 
are the same color, which markings extend 
over the back of ile neck. 
The back has a tawny appearance, because 
the black feathers are all edged with brownish. 
The wing feathers are “all marked with 
white. Eyes brown. Legs black ; bill yellow- 
ish at base, black at tip. Extent 143 ‘inches, 
length 74 inches. 
Sportsmen seldom see this bird in the full 
plumage, as they are then generally in the far 
North, and they pass this Section of the coast 
without coming on shore, except by accident, 
about the first two weeks in May. 
In winter they are more common in civil- 
ized latitudes, but would har dly be recognized 
as the same bird. The back is dark gray, and 
the head and under parts are nearly white. 
The white markings on the wings are also 
noticeable. 
It is hardly fair to class these birds as 
shore-birds, as they only come to land when 
blown in by heavy w inds. I think that this 
bird is typically a sea-bird, and like the 
Stormy Petrel, makes its bed upon the waves, 
and sleeps with both eyes open. During 
heavy northeast storms, I have had it reported 
