164 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



This is the least rare of the Phalaropes, and it is a common bird along the 

 northern coast of Maine. Mr. W. A. Jeffries 1 reports an unusual flight of them 

 in 1S90, after a strong but short northeast wind. A flock of 300 was found 

 about a mile off the shore at Swampscott, from the 12th of August to the 26th 

 of September. With them Mr. Jeffries found a single Red Phalarope. On 

 September 2d, 1899, there occurred a remarkable night flight of Phalaropes 

 probably of this species, previously referred to in the lighthouse records (see 

 page 57) in which from 800 to 1000 killed themselves against Thatcher's Island 

 Lights. On September 9th, 1904, between 12.30 and 4 a. m., a large flock was 

 seen hovering about Thatcher's Island Lights and eight were killed. I had the 

 opportunity of identifying one of these birds. 



On October 1 ith, 1903, during a hard rain and northeast storm, a flock of 

 ten or twelve flew by me on Ipswich Beach, three remaining to feed on the 

 water at the mouth of the Essex River. I have two in my collection taken on 

 the beach at Ipswich, on August 10th, 1901, by my brother. They were with 

 two Semipalmated Sandpipers and were very unsuspicious. Mr. W. A. Jeffries 

 shot one at a pond back of the beach at Swampscott on August 21st, 1876, and 

 two others were taken in that vicinity the same year. On May 15th, 1904, in 

 Martin's Brook, just outside the southern boundary of Andover, thirteen miles 

 from the sea, Mr. Harold Bowditch found three of these birds. On October 

 6th, 1904, Dr. Phillips saw one alight at Wenham Lake among the wooden 

 decoys. 



The Northern, like the other Phalaropes, are usually found flying close over 

 the sea, or riding gracefully on the waves, like miniature Ducks. These flocks 

 present an interesting and curious appearance, the birds at times massing closely 

 together. Their breasts are well protected by a thick coating of feathers at 

 whose base is much down, but the true down feathers appear to be absent. It 

 is very exceptional for them to alight on the beaches. 



Their slight forms, small necks and heads, and needle-like bills, their dark 

 backs, and in flying, the white line made by the ends of the greater coverts 

 contrasting with their almost black wings, are all noticeable points. 



92 [224] Steganopus tricolor Vieil 

 Wilson's Phalarope. 

 Accidental visitor from the west. 



1 W. A. Jeffries : Auk, vol. 8, p. 112,1891. 



