296 General Notes. (luly 



those taken by me on May i- They were numerous in the \'icinity of 

 Tuckeinuck and Muskeget Islands from May 19 to 22 inchisive, about all 

 having departed at the latter date. I, however, saw eight or ten scattering 

 birds on May 26, on which date I shot two P. lobatus, and one C. fulica- 

 riiis. It would appear that the northeast rain storm of Ma v 19, 20 and 21 

 must have driven in a fresh lot of these birds on this coast, for at that 

 time and a few days later thousands were noted, and some two hundred 

 and fifty captured, from Monomoy to Provincetown, Cape Cod, a large 

 proportion of which were in an advanced stage of plumage and many in 

 the fully adult dress, while on May i I did not see one in full spring 

 plumage, most of them being in the gray and white stage. I am there- 

 fore of the opinion that those birds taken and noted off Cape Cod were a 

 different lot. Among them were a few scattering P. lobatus. It is very 

 unusual for the Red Phalarope to appear in such abundance on this coast. 

 About six years ago, one day during the latter part of October, Phalaropes 

 (species unknown) were noted passing continuously by the south side of 

 Nantucket and Tuckernuck Islands, headed south. They flew from morn- 

 ing until late in the afternoon in flocks of varying size, keeping near the 

 water. 



The adult female has a white patch on each side of the head, surround- 

 ing the eye, and extending backward until they meet in a narrow line at 

 the nape, the crown being black from the base of the bill to the nape. 

 Adult males usually have a much smaller loral space of white, and the 

 crown from the base of the bill to the nape is sooty black streaked with 

 yellowish brown, the same as on the back. The entire under parts of the 

 adults (both sexes) from the bill to the end of the tail are deep red. Mr. 

 M. Abbott Frazar, of Boston, first called my attention to the difference 

 between the top of the head of males and females, which seems sufflciently 

 constant in the large nutnber of specimens I have viewed (about one hun 

 dred and fifty) to identify the sexes. It would also appear that the female 

 has the higher plumage of the two, as well as being a little larger than the 

 male. When in the gray and white immature plumage I see no way of 

 recognizing the sexes by their general appearance. 



As I am not aware that many of these birds have been heretofore taken 

 in this vicinity at this season I thought it might be desirable if I gave an 

 individual description of those I secured. For convenience I designate 

 them by number. 



No I. — A young male. The upper parts mostly gray, ^vith a few reddish 

 feathers on the back and scapulars showing the maturer plumage. Under 

 parts white. A band of white about three eighths of an inch wide on greater 

 wing coverts. Top of head white with a few blackish brown feathers 

 interspersed. Nape gray. Bill nearly black, with a tinge of deep orange 

 \ellow extending from the nostrils to the base of the upper mandible; also 

 a tinge of the same on the lower mandible at its base. 



No. 2. — This bird, a male, was of nearly the same plumage as the one 

 above described. 



No. 3. — Male. Generally the same as those above, but rather more mature. 



