PHALAROPES 



219 



dusky spot in front of eye; eye-ring, white interrupted 

 before and behind; bill, bluish-black; feet, livid; iris, 

 deep brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Xkst: A hollow in ground lined 

 with grass or leaves. Eggs ; 4, greenish or buffy, 

 thickly blotched with various shades of brown. 



Distribution. — Northern and southern hemispheres ; 

 in North America breeds from northern Alaska. Mel- 



vdle Island, and central Greenland south to .'\lentian 

 Islands (including Near Islands), valley of the upper 

 Yukon, northern Mackenzie, central Keewatin, southern 

 James Bay, and northern Ungava : winter home un- 

 known, but probably the oceans south of the equator; 

 in migration occurs nearly throughout the United 

 States and in Mexico, Central America, Bermuda, and 

 Hawaii. 



Like the Red I'halarope, the Xiirthern I'hal- 

 arope breeds in the extreme north. It has a 

 curious habit of whirhni^- around se\eral times in 

 succession on the surface of the water, creatinq; 

 miniature whirlpools, e\i(.lentl\' with the intention 

 of stirring tip tlte tiny niarnie life on which it 

 feeds. I have seen many flocks on the ocean, 



well otl the shore of the New England coast, dur- 

 ing .\ugust and September, ilcxiting like thistle- 

 ilown but not .going through the gyrations they 

 jierfiirm on the shallow inland ponds, which 

 would indicate that in the latter they And food 

 absent in the former. 



R. I. Br.\siier. 



Photo by W. L. Finlcj- and H. T. Bohlman 



NORTHERN PHALAROPE 

 Female in summer plumage 



