THE BIRDS OF X^w JERSEY. 



117 



Order LIMICOL^. 

 Shore Birds. 



Family PHALAROPIDJE. 



The Phalaropes. 



These birds are essentially "swimming Sandpipers" with curiously 

 lobed feet, somewhat like those of the Coot. 



They are peculiar also in the fact that the female is more brightly 

 plumaged than the male, while the latter attends for the most part to 

 the incubation of the eggs. Wilson's Phalarope nests in interior 

 North America, the others in the far north. 



a. Wiiig, 5.25-5.50. 

 aa. Wing less than 5.25. 

 ft. Bni, .85. 

 hh. Bill, 1.25 or over. 



Red Phai-akope, p. 117 



Northern Phaxarope, p. 118 

 Wilson's Phalarope, p. 119 



222 Phalaropus fuiicarius (Linnaeus). 

 Red Phalarope. 



Adult in spring. — Length, 7.50-8.50. Wing, 5.25-5.50. Above, streaked 

 broadly with black and bufif ; top of head, dull black (streaked with buff in the 

 male) ; wing, grayish, with a white wing band; sides of head, white; entire 

 under parts, cinnamon, with a purplish cast. 



Adult in autumn. — Above, pearl-gray ; wings and tail, gray or dusky ; ear- 

 coverts, dusky ; rest of plumage, white. 



Young in first autumn. — Dusky above, edged with buff; white below, suf- 

 fused with brown on breast and throat. 



Pelagic, occurring well off shore during migrations, but rarely com- 

 ing in to the coast or up the rivers. 



Ord states that the specimen figured by Wilson was taken near 

 Philadelphia in the latter part of May, 1812. There were three in 

 the flock. Doubtless they were driven into the Delaware River by a 

 storm. Audubon (1835) says that stragglers at times reach New 

 Jersey. Dr. Abbott (18(i8) records one shot on the Hackensack June 

 27th. 1863, and Turnbull (1869) says a few are obtained every season. 



