PHALAROPODID^ — THE PHALAEOPES — PHALAROPUS. 327 



streaked, like the back ; white on side of head not well defined. Female, with the crown uniform 

 plumbeous-black or dark plumbeous, the white on side of the head surrounding the eyes, and 

 abruptly defined, the nape unstreaked cimiamon and plumbeous. Adult and young in winter : 

 Head, neck, and lower parts pure white, the occiput and a space partly or completely surrounding 

 the eyes dark plumbeuus. Upper parts unitbrni fine pearl-gray or light bluish plumbeous, the 

 remiges slate-color. Young, first j^ilumage : Crown, nape, back, and scapulars dull black, the 

 feathers edged with ochraceous ; wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts plumbeous, the middle 

 coverts bordered with pale buff, the tail-coverts with ochraceous. Head (except crown) and lower 

 parts generally, white ; the throat and jugulum suil'used with brownish buff. Downy young: 

 Above, bright tawny buff, marked with broad irregular stripes of black ; superciliary stripes bright 

 tawny buff, separated only by a narrow and sometimes interrupted dusky streak ; pileum bright 

 raw-uniber brown, bordered exteriorly with black ; chin and throat light fulvous-buff, changing 

 to smoky Iniff on jugulum ; rest of lower parts dull whitish. 



Total length, about 7.50 inches ; wing, about 5.25 to 5.50 ; culmen, .80 to .95 ; tarsus, .80 to 

 .85 ; middle toe, .75 to .80. 



In very many respects the habits, movements, and distribution of the Red Phal- 

 arope appear to be very nearly identical witli those of Lob'qyes hyperboreus. Like that 

 species, it breeds in high Arctic regions, and is even much more decidedly Arctic in 

 its residence during the season of reproduction. It wanders, during the long period 

 that intervenes between these short seasons, irregularly over a large portion of the 

 northern hemisphere, having been traced to Calcutta, where a single specimen was 

 procured, and to Northern Africa, where also one was obtained in January by Mr. 

 Tyrwhitt Blake ("Ibis," 1867). This species is also included by Middendorff among 

 the birds of Siberia, and is given as among those which penetrate to the extreme 

 north. It arrives with the Red-necked Phalarope on the Taimyr River, and the 

 two were equally common there and on the Boganida. In latitude 75^ N. the last 

 was seen on the 15th of August, and its fresh eggs were obtained June 17th, and 

 half-fledged youug ones July 25th (0. S.). The note of this bird resembles that of 

 the Northern Phalarope {Lohipes lobatus), but is even more Finch-like. 



In the English Arctic Expedition of 1875-1876 this species Avas found breeding near 

 the " Alert's " winter-quarters (lat. 82° 37' N.), and Mr. Eeilden obtained a specimen 

 there — a female — on the 30th of June, 1876. During the month of July he also 

 observed a pair on a small fresh-Avater pond in latitude 82° 30' N., wdiere they were 

 apparently breeding. The female was larger and brighter-colored than the male. 

 Several other examples were seen in the same neighborhood by various members of 

 the Expedition. 



According to Mr. Kumlien, this is the "Whale-bird" and "Bow-head Bird" of 

 whalemen. He met with large flocks of this species at great distances from land ; 

 in one instance, on August 4th, in latitude 41°, longitude 68° W. Their numbers in- 

 creased as he proceeded north, and at a distance of two hundred miles from the Lab- 

 rador coast he noticed them in a gale in very large flocks. He states that this bird 



