THE RED PHALAROPE 101 



THE RED PHALAROPE. 



(Crymophilus fulicarius.) 



The Red Phalarope is the ''odd one" of his 

 family (any one of which is odd enough), 

 heavier in his build, having a shorter and a 

 thicker bill and a longer tail than the other two. 

 About the base of the bill and on the forehead is 

 a blackish mask. A patch of white running 

 back from this through the eyes and nearly 

 meeting its fellow on the nape. Back of head, 

 hind neck and down the back tawny yellow and 

 blackish, the light color on the tips and edges 

 of the feathers. Rump whitish. Tail long and 

 rounding, dark brownish ash. The wing cov- 

 erts dark slatey gray, the tips of the greater 

 coverts making a crossbar of white. Primaries 

 dusky, with white shafts. Below, a rich pur- 

 plish red, this color also on the sides of the neck 

 and upper tail coverts, deepest on the breast 

 and paling toward the edges of the area thus 

 marked. The female, as is the peculiarity of 

 this famih^, is much brighter in her hues than 

 is her mate. Bill dull yellow, growing dusky at 

 the tip. Feet and legs yellow; toes lobed and 



