BED PHALAROPE 323 



staiuling or walking on niiul flats or the seabeacli close to the surf. 

 Dawson says (1911, p. 178) that when feeding, they work at the rate 

 of 300 (labs i)er minute and that the excrement is voided at two or 

 three minute intervals when so feeding. 



McGregor (1898, pp. 87, 88) says concerning the habits of the 

 species as a visitant along the coast of California : 



... I have repeatedly seen them in deep water feeding and swimming. 

 . . . Near San Diego the Eed Phalarope remains all winter at times and 

 swims about on the "tide slicks" feeding . . . [and] swimming nervously 

 here and there with a peculiar jerky movement [of the head] .... [At Santa 

 Cruz it was] busily feeding, gathering as I afterwards found, small Crustacea 

 from the surface of the water. As I attempted to approach them the whole 

 flock arose and circling rapidly for a few seconds lit again a long way off. 

 Another time, api)arently forgetting my presence, they would light only a few 

 feet from their starting place. . . . The head moved as if on a spiral spring 

 and food was secured by quick dabs at the surface of the water. I found 

 their time was spent either at the edge of the salt water, or, as likely in 

 swimming on small brackish lagoons, just back of the sand beaches. ... In 

 the Bay of San Diego they are often seen, and a flock of eight or nine Eed 

 Phalaropes was seen in Lower California on a fresh water lagoon some twelve 

 miles from the coast. This was the middle of April and several showed red 

 blotches on the white plumage. . . . 



The Phalaropes usually feed near the water's edge when they are not 

 actually in the water. Not a moment is lost as they run hurriedly back and 

 forth, now following a receding wave to catch a belated Ifippa and again 

 industriously turning over decaying algae in order to capture the small crus- 

 taceans (Orchestia) which are . . . lurking there. . . . They feed on minute 

 particles of animal matter. . . . [One] may approach to within a few feet of 

 a feeding flock, perhaps, but Crymophilus [=Pha1aroi)Us] is notional and if 

 you get too near, away goes the whole flock as a single bird, with no warning 

 that we can detect. A killed or crippled Phalarope is almost sure to decoy the 

 remainder of the flock. . . . Whether on the wing or running along stretches 

 of white sand beach or whether rapidly paddling over the water, the Phalarope 

 is always neat and careful of its snowy feathers. 



In northeastern Greenland, Manniche (1910, pp. 152-159) im- 

 proved an excellent opportunity to learn something of the habits 

 of this Phalarope. Of a pair seen June 19, 1907, he says : 



At first they were entirely occupied in searching for food. Swimming on 

 the water and going amongst the tufts they eagerly hunted for gnats and 

 larvae. . . . They caught the larvae by swimming swiftly with the neck 

 stretched out towards the selected prey. They would often keep the bill 

 vertically and — reconnoitring the water just in front of them — pick up the 

 prey . . . with the greatest dexterity. Between the tufts the Phalaropes would 

 especially hunt flying insects. [They were evidently afraid of the larger shore 

 birds such as, for instance. Knots.] Several times I saw them rush together in 

 terror and lie motionless on the water with their heads pressed down to their 

 backs until the supposed danger — a passing Knot — was past. . . . 



