34 Binl-Xrsfnn/ 



gins to fly over your liead, uttfriiii;- ;i soft note, soiiiftliino- 

 like the coo of a dove. 



Wilson's phalaropes ai;e handsome birds and the largest of 

 the three species. They inhabit the prairies from Winnipeg 

 to the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains, and I found them 

 breeding at every place I stopped at between Winnipeg and 

 Rush Lake. I had excellent opportunities of studying their 

 habits, and I consider this the most interesting species of the 

 entire group of waders. As a rule, in liird life, the males are 

 larger than the females and their plumage more attractive, 

 but in the case of Wilson's j^halarope it is just the reverse ; the 

 females are mucli larger than the males and their plumage is 

 far brightei". I have several specimens on tlie table before 

 me, and the adult female may l)e described as follo^^'s : Fore- 

 head and crown, bluish silvery grey, changing into a white 

 band down the middle of tlie back of the neck. From the 

 base of the bill, across the eye and down the side of the nec]<:, 

 is a black stripe, changing gradually in the lower portion of 

 the neck and across the back, into rich, dark chestnut : a short 

 white 1 >ar over lores and eyes : chin, cheeks and under parts 

 of the body, pure snowy white ; fore-neck and chest, softy 

 bufFy cinnamon : wings, dusky brown, and middle of the back, 

 plumbeous grey. The adult male is smaller and much duller 

 in colour than the female, with tlie beautiful tints and pattern 

 of the female faintly indicated. These birds are lol)e-footed 

 like the coot, and are good swinnaers. They surpass all other 

 waders in ease and variety of movement, and in grace and 

 eleo-ance of form, and beauty of plumage. The first week in 

 June they })egin to biiild their nests, usualh' not far from the 

 margin of some lake or slough : the nests are always deep cup- 

 shaped hollows in the centre of a tuft of grass, and are usually 

 well concealed. The nest is lined with bits of grass or drift 

 rushes. They are generally found by flushing the male oft' 

 the nest, for after the female has laid the full complement of 

 eags, she leaves them, and the male alone attends to the duties 

 of incubation, and hatches the eggs. When the 3'oung leave 

 the shells thev can soon run about, and are then fed by l>otli 



