BIRDS. 85 



33. Phalaropus fulicarius, (L.) Bp. 



"Sbatgak," Cumberland Eskimo. " VVliale-bird," or "Bowhead Bii'd," of 

 whalemen. 



These birds were met with at great distances from land. The first 

 seen on our outward passage was on August 4, 1877, in lat. 41° K., 

 long. 68° W. 5 here large flocks were met with. As we proceeded north- 

 ward, their numbers increased till we reached Grinnell Bay. Off the 

 Amitook Islands, on the Labrador coast, two hundred miles from the 

 nearest land, I saw very large flocks during a strong gale. Hardly a 

 day passed but some were seen, either flying about in a rapid and vig- 

 orous manner, often rising to a considerable height, and then suddenly 

 darting off" in the direction of a spouting whale, or swimming about 

 with that grace so eminently characteristic of the phalaropes. They 

 follow the whales, and, as soon as a whale is seen to blow, immediately 

 start for him, as a quantity of marine animals are always brought to the 

 surface. 



Yery few were seen north of Frobisher Straits, for the weather by 

 this time had probably become too severe for them, and I think the 

 birds seen on the passage were migrating southward. I am more in- 

 clined to think so, as the next year, in going over nearly the same route 

 a month later, very few were seen. They arrive in Cumberland with 

 the breaking-ux) of the ice, and from this time till they begin breeding 

 are seldom seen on the shore, but cruise out in the sound. Whalemen 

 always watch these birds wkile they are wheeling around high in the 

 air in graceful and rapid circles, for they know that as soon as they 

 sight a whale blowing they start for him, and fi*om their elevated j)osi- 

 tion they can of course discern one at a much greater distance than the 

 men in the boat. I doubt if it be altogether the marine animals brought 

 to the surface by the whale that they are after, for if the whale remains 

 above the surface any length of time they always settle on his back and 

 hunt parasites. One specimen was- brought me by an Eskimo that he 

 had killed on the back of an Orca gladiator ; the oesophagus was fairly 

 crammed with Lcernodipodian crustaceans^ still alive, although the bird 

 had been killed some hours; they looked to me like CapreUa pliasmu 

 and Cyamus ceti. According to the Eskimo who killed it, the birds were 

 picking something from the whale's back. I have often seen them dart 

 down among a school of DelpJiinaj)terons lencas and follow them as far as 

 •I could see. On one occasion a pair suddenly alighted astern of my boat, 

 and were not three feet from me at times; they followed directly in the 

 wake of the boat, and seemed so intent on jiicking up food that the^- 



