84 PHALAROPES 



According to Goss they feed on aquatic insects, snails, tender water 

 plants, buds, blossoms, and seeds. Mr. Evermann has found them 

 feeding largely on wild celery. In the north they gather by thou- 

 sands in the rice lakes in fall and stay until driven south by cold 

 weather, feeding on the rich grain as it falls, or is scattered out by 

 their wings, and becoming excessively fat. Yernon Bailey. 



ORDER LIMICOL^ : SHORE BIRDS. 



(Families Phalaropodid^, Recur virostrid^, Scolopa- 

 ciD^, Charadriid^, Aphrizid^, H^matopodid^, and 

 Jacanid^.) 



FAMILY PHALAROPODIDiE : PHALAROPES. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



1. Bill wide and flattened, toes half webbed and with scalloped 

 margins Crymophilus, p. 84. 



1 .Bill slender and approximately cylindrical. 



2. Bill mnch longer than head, toes webbed at base, with 



straight margins Steganopus, p. 85. 



2'. Bill not longer than head, toes nearly half webbed, and with 



slightly scalloped margins . . . Phalaropus, p. 84. 



GENUS CRYMOPHILUS. 



222. Crymophilus fulicarius {Lhm.). Bed Phalarope. 



Bill about as long as head, flat, widest toward end. Adult male in sum- 

 mer : back streaked with black and buff ; 

 wing bluish and dusky, crossed by a white 

 band ; side of head whitish ; under parts 

 dark cinnamon brown. Adult female in 

 summer : crown and face plumbeous or 

 ^^^- ^- blackish, sides of head pure white. Adults 



in winter : head, neck, and under parts pure white, except for plumbeous 

 on back of head and around eyes ; upper parts plain blue gray. Young : 

 upper parts blackish, the feathers edged with yellowish ; under parts 

 whitish, with dusky brown across breast. Length : 7.50-8.75, wing 5.'25- 

 5.50. bill .80-.l)5. 



Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in arctic 



regions. In America soixth in winter to the middle of the United States 



and along the Pacific coast to Cape St. Lucas ; straggHng to the Carolinas. 



Nest. — A slight depression in damp ground, usually without lining. 



Eggs : 3 to 4, heavily spotted with brown. 



GENUS PHALAROPUS. 

 Subgenus Phalaropus. 



223. Phalaropus lobatus (Linn.). Northern Phalarope. 



Bill about as long as head, very slender and sharp; margins of toes 



