Shore-bird Shooting 325 



north and west of Scotland, and on the continent from the 

 northern limit of forest north to the Arctic Ocean. Winters on 

 the coasts of Europe, rarely in the Mediterranean, in Persia, 

 India, China, and the Malay Archipelago. 



Less maritime than the red phalarope, this 

 species migrates regularly, usually in small num- 

 bers through the interior of the United States, 

 but is only found in very large flocks on the 

 ocean, where, in May and again in August, great 

 numbers have been met with off New England, 

 Labrador, the Aleutian Islands, and California. 

 In the breeding season this bird frequents bodies 

 of fresh water, returning to the coast after the 

 young are fledged. 



The boreal regions of both continents are the 

 breeding-grounds, but as soon as its young are 

 bred it resorts to warmer climes. All summer 

 long the northern phalarope is found in the tide- 

 rips about Grand Manan ; the flocks are very 

 gentle and usually allow a boat to approach close 

 to them, taking wing quickly and gracefully, keep- 

 ing close to the surface of the waves, and uttering 

 their sharp, metallic tweet ; they settle on some 

 floating debris or seaweed, perhaps alighting in 

 the rough water. The birds feed on little shrimps 

 and animalculae, seldom coming on to the shore 

 except in stormy weather. Though flocks of phala- 

 rope abound in this location through the sum- 

 mer, the nest has not been found, and the birds 



