403 GRALLATORES. 



up in marshy places ; in captivity, they are fed with bread and 

 milk, or boiled wheat. They have sometimes been caught in 

 nets, being decoyed by stuffed birds of their species. The Ruff 

 is a very pugnacious bird ; it weighs seven ounces, and is a foot 

 in length. 



,* PHALAROPES. 



The RED PHALAROPE, Phalaropus, (Gr. phalaros, bald or 

 naked ; pous, foot,) fulicarius, (Lat. from fuIicd, coot.) has a 

 long, slender, weak, and strait bill, both mandibles furrowed to 

 the point, and the end of the upper curved over the lower one ; 

 the front toes are united up to the first joint; the others with fes- 

 tooned or lobated membranes, (Plate IX. fig. 25.) toothed on the 

 edges; the hind toe without a membrane. The Red Phalarope 

 is found in flocks in Kentucky, on the Ohio, and during autumn, 

 is often seen at sea, as far as Newfoundland. It breeds in high 

 northern latitudes, as far as Melville Peninsula. The route of 

 this species towards the warmer regions, is along the Pacific 

 coast. The length is seven and a half inches. These birds are 

 said to breed in great numbers far North ; their flight is rapid, 

 resembling that of the Red-backed Sandpiper ; sometimes they 

 skim over the water, when they increase their, distance from 

 each other. They feed chiefly on insects and crustaceans, which 

 live on the surface of the water. 



The HYBERBOREAN PHALAROPE, or LOBEFOOT, Lolipes hyper- 

 loreus, procures its food principally upon the water, on which 

 "they alight like Ducks, float as light as Gulls, and move about 

 in search of food with much nimbleness." Length six inches. 



MARLINS or GODWITS. 



The MARLIN or GREAT MARBLED GODWIT, Limosa fedoa, has 

 a recurved and tapering bill of great length, and long and slender 

 le^s ; the tibia is bare for about one-third of its length ; the toes 

 are four in number; the hind one small, and touching the ground 

 at the tip, the plumage above is dark brown, varied with red 

 and gray; below, pale reddish brown or buff, with small dusky 

 spots on the neck. The length is from about sixteen to nine- 

 teen inches; the female is considerably the larger. 



This is a very shy and vigilant bird, moving in large flocks, 

 with irregular and rather quick flight, though less rapid than the 

 Curlews. The flesh is tender and much esteemed. It is some- 

 times called the Red Curlew, the Strait-billed Curlew, and Dough- 

 bird. The Marlins move along the coast in immense flocks, as 

 far as Massachusetts, (reaching New York in May,) and are 



