BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 113 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill strong, flattened and widened towards the end; wings 

 long, tail short; legs short, plumage thick and compact like that 

 of the swimming birds; head above, space around base of bill, 

 throat and back. brownish-black; feathers of last edged broadly 

 with pale, ochre-yellow; wings and tail ashy-brown, paler on 

 the wing coverts; greater wing coverts widely tipped with 

 white; stripe on cheek white; entire under parts deep, brownish 

 red, inclining to purple on the abdomen, and with a glaucous 

 cast in very mature specimens; under wing coverts and axil- 

 laries pure w^hite; bill greenish-yellow; feet dark-bluish. 



Length, 7.50; wing, 5.25; tail, 2.75; bill, 1; tarsus, 0.75. 



Habitat, northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding in 

 the artic regions, and migrating south in winter; in the United 

 States south to the Middle States, Ohio Valley, and Cape St. 

 Lucas. Chiefly maritime. 



PHALAROPLS LOBATUS (L). (223.) 



NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 



About as well represented as the Red, the Northern Phala- 

 rope reaches us at the same time in May with the other, in 

 small parties of five or six, or even less in many instances, in 

 the vernal migrations. In the latter part of August, they 

 return with their numbers somewhat augmented, which are 

 still increasing somewhat until their final departure in Sep- 

 tember. Graceful in every movement, and extremely active 

 in procuring their food, which consists of small mollusks, insects, 

 worms, and crustaceans, they cannot fail to arrest the atten- 

 tion wherever seen. It affects pools, and ponds of water con- 

 taining different forms of aquatic insect life. A tender bird, 

 all leave on the first advent of the first decided frost, which has 

 occurred within my own memory several times, on the night of 

 August 31st and September 1st. 



They are known to breed in the higher latitudes, but none 

 are known to do so this side of the British possessions. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Neck encircled with a ring of bright rufous, with a stripe of 

 the same on each side; head above and neck behind, sooty- 

 ash; back, wings and tail, brownish-black, paler on the rump, 

 mixed with bright ferruginous on the back; tips of greater 

 wing coverts white; sides and flanks ashy, frequently mixed 

 with reddish; throat, breast, and abdomen white; bill, legs and 

 iris dark brown. 



Length, 7; wing, 4.50; tail, 2.25; bill, 1; tarsus, 0,75. 



Habitat, northern North America. 



