BIRDS FOUND ALONG THE BEACHES 59 



Geographical Distribution : From British Columbia, south in winter to 

 Brazil. 



Breeding Flange : Breeds locally throughout the United States from lati- 

 tude 35° northward. At Lake Tahoe and other points in California. 



Breeding Season : May 20 to July 15, 



Nest : A slight depression in the ground ; lined with grass. 



Eggs: 3 or 4 ; huffy, marked with umber. Size 1.30 X 1.60. 



WiLSOX Phalaropes present some unique features 

 of bird life. The female is an inch or more longer than 

 the male and larger in proportion. She is more con- 

 spicuously marked, and is the handsomer of the two, — 



a condition rarely f^'^"i^^_^^>^^ ^.^^^te^^a*^ among 

 avifauna. Althouofh so ^ill^^^^^^trim and 



-^0^^ 



224. Wilson Phalaeope. 



'^'' Picking np their o> in food he/ore they were ten hours old.'''' 



dainty, she is naturally, perhaps, somewhat overbear- 

 ing in her domestic relations, refusing to consider her 

 master in anything. She does all the wooing, and 

 woe to the unfortunate male if two females phice 

 their choice upon him. No voice will he have in the 

 matter, for the more persistent or the stronger will win, 

 and he must follow her. To do him justice, he seems 

 to admire her fully as much because she is aggressive. 

 Once the choice is miule his daily life is cut out for him. 

 He nnist make the nest in which madam condescends 

 to lay three or four buff eggs spotted with dark brown. 

 After that the entire care of incubation and rearing the 

 brood devolves upon him. In one instance at least, I 



