The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 157 



water off Кар Bismarck; this bird \vas — lilve every other female 

 observed — in full summer plumage. I did not succeed in finding 

 out the exact time of incubation and the time during which the 

 male accompanies the young ones. 



After the middle of July was passed I several times met with 

 males with well marked breeding spots or rather with their breast 

 and belly quite naked and with emaciated body. This fact certainly 

 proves, that they had lately bred but had no nest to guard and no 

 hatch of young to take care of, and might suggest, that these are 

 left very early. 



In the season in which the Phalarope could be supposed to 

 guide his young ones — that is from the middle to the end of July 



— I zealously searched for it on spots, where this species used to 

 nest, but never succeeded in meeting with any bird guiding young 

 ones; this also confirms my supposition regarding the matter 

 mentioned. 



I never succeeded in finding young ones of the Grey Phalarope 

 on account of their excellent faculties of avoiding the attention of 

 human beings, especially in such difficult surroundings as these. 



The males would — like the females — leave the country suc- 

 cessively a short time after their duties to the brood were over. 



As to its character the Phalarope is confident, lively and patient; 

 its movements are very charming and its flight more rapid, than 

 that of any other wader. 



Its short pretty and penetrating call, which is uttered in flight 

 especially is frequently repeated in thick fog and can be heard at 

 a very long distance. 



The Phalarope is, even in its breeding season when it continu- 

 ously lives far from the sea, always seen on water or close to this. 



The bird finds its food when swimming — as indicated before 



— most frequently along the shore of small fresh-water-ponds and 

 lakes or between grassclad hillocks surrounded by quite low water. 



Some twenty analyses of stomachs proved, that the Phalaropes 

 in the breeding season chiefly feed on small insects principally 

 gnats and larvæ of these. The æsophagus and stomachs of several 

 birds killed were filled with larvæ of gnats, which in vast multitu- 

 des live in the fresh-water-ponds. In a few stomachs I also found 

 fine indeterminable remnants of plants (Algæ?). 



The females were at their arrival to the nesting places rather 

 thin, while the males were extremely fat. During the long trouble- 

 some brooding, in which the male on account of the relatively low 

 temperature only ventures to leave the nest for a few moments in 

 order to search food, he will certainly make use of the stored-up fat. 



