470 LOBIPES HYPERBOREUS, NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 



C^) Phalaroims lohalus, Lath., lud. Orn. ii, 1790, 776. 



Trinqa fasca, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, G75. 



Phaiaropus fuscus, Lath., Intl. Oru. ii, 1790, 776 (Bisiss., vi, 18). 



PhaJaroptts rtiJicoUi>f, Pai.l., Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 203. 



Pludaropus cinerascens, Pall.. Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, 204. 



Phaiaropus chm-eus, Mey. & Wolf, Tuscb. ii, 417.— Key.s. &, Blas., Wiib. Eur. 73.— 



ScHL., Rev. Ciit. 94.— FixscH, Abb. Nat. iii, 1872, 65 (Alaska). 

 Phaiaropus aiigustirostris, Naum., Vog. Deutsc-bl. viii, 1836, 240, pi. 205. 

 Phaiaropus au'sfralis, Te^im. & Bi'. (^dilcfjcl.) 

 Phaiaropus uilUamsii, Simm., Linn. Trans, viii, 264. 



Hal). — Nortbern Hemispbere, penetrating to very bigb latitndes to breed, migratory 

 sometimes into tbe trollies in winter. Generally distributed, but more- particularly 

 maritime. 



Not noticed by Captain Raynolds' or Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. 



Later Expeditions.— 59867 , Middle Park, Colorado ; 60796, Big Sandy River, Wyoming. 



Specimens of the Northern Phalarope, just from the egg, were lately 

 procured by Mr. Henry W. Elliott, on St. Paul Island, one of the 

 Prybilov group, outliers of the Aleutians. They are very pretty little 

 creatures indeed. The whole head and upper parts are clear, warm, 

 brownish-yellow, or rich buff, variegated with black ; the uuder parts, 

 from neck to rump, are white with a slight silvery-gray cast. The black 

 variegation occupies a triaugular area on the crown (where it is mixed 

 with buff), forms a long stripe down the back, bounded by a streak over 

 each hip and a spot on each shoulder, and terminates by a cross-bar on 

 the rump. The bill is only a third of an inch long, and no larger than 

 a dressing-pin ; the total length of the bird is about 2| inches. As with 

 others of the family, the changes of plumage with age, and especially 

 with season, are very great; but in any condition the species rfiay be 

 recognized by its small size and scolloped toe-membranes, in compari- 

 son with P. icUson% and by its slender, subulate bill, as compared with 

 the broad, flattened one of P. fuUcarius. 



In the interior of the United States the Northern Phalarope is no- 

 where so abundant as Wilson's, and appears to be of less general dis- 

 persion, though it occurs, sometimes in large flocks, in particular 

 localities. It is oftener seen flocking along either coast. On the 

 Atlantic I have not been able to trace it beyond the Middle States, 

 although it certainly winters along the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Giraud 

 quotes a letter of Prof. Baird's, dated Carlisle, Pennsylvania, October 

 10, 1842, in regard to its occurrence in that locality ; and Dr. Turnbull 

 states that it is "rare; arriving early in May, and again in September; 

 being more frequent in the autumn." On the coast of New England it 

 is more abundant and of regular occurrence during the migrations, 

 some apparently' breeding among the islands in the Bay of Fundy. It 

 appears to migrate mainly off" the coast, in flocks of considerable size, 

 and doubtless many of the occasions of its capture along our coast are 

 the result of storms driving it inshore. On the Pacific side, says Dr. 

 Cooper, "the Lobefoot passes in spring and fall through Washington 

 Territory in small flocks, which associate sometimes with the Sand- 

 pipers, but appear to prefer wetter feeding-grounds, wading in the 

 shallow creeks at low tide, and even swimming on the ocean, several 

 miles off shore. In August, 1853, I saw a pair, either of this or the 

 next species, swimming on a small lake on the summit of the Cascade 

 Mountains, where they probably had a nest. The young birds appear 

 near the mouth of the Columbia early in July.-' Dr. Suckley also found 

 them about Puget Sound in August, becoming quite abundant during 

 the month, and keeping principally among beds of kelp and floating 

 patches of sea-weed. Dr. Bannister mentions eggs brought from the 

 vicinity of Unalaklik, Alaska, and Mr. Dail states that the bird is very 



