PHALAROPODID^E — THE PHALAKOPES — PIIALAROPUS. 



327 



stiiiiked, like the back ; white on side of hend not well defini'd. Female, with the crown uniform 

 liliiiiilieous-ljlack or dark i>liunlx:ou9, the white on wide of the head surroiindinj,' the eyes, and 

 alii'iiiitly delined, the nape unstreakod cinnamon and idiiniheou:'. Ailult and youiirj in u-inttr: 

 Iliad, neck, and lower jiurts jmre white, tlie ucciimt and a space [lartly or completely Rurroiniding 

 ilic eyes ilark pUimlieous. Ui)i)er parts uniform line pearl-^'ray or lij,dit bluish plumbeous, the 

 niiiij,'es slate-color. Yoiuuj, Jimt jjlummje : ("rown, najie, back, and scapulars dull black, the 

 I'liiihci's e(l;-''d with ochraceous ; winj,'-coverts, rumj>, and upper lail-coverts plumbeous, the middle 

 idvi'its bordered with pale buff, tlie tail-coverts with ochraceous. Head (e.xcept crown) and lower 

 ]urts ^'enerally, white ; the throat and .JM,i,'ulum sullused with brownish buff. Downy youwj: 

 Aliuve, )irif,'ht tawny buff, marked with broad irregular stripe.^ of black ; superciliary stripes bright 

 lawny bull", separated oidy by a narrow and sometimes interrupted dusky streak ; pileum bright 

 raw-uniber brown, bonlei-ed e.xteriorly with black ; chin iind tiiroat light fulvous-buff, changing 

 til smoky buff on jugnlum ; rest of htwer parts dull whiti.sh. 



Total length, about 7.50 inches ; wing, about r).25 to 5.50 ; culmen, .80 to .95 ; tarsus, .80 to 

 .85 ; middle toe, .75 to .80. 



111 very many respects the habits, movements, and distribution of the Red Phal- 

 arope appear to be very nearly identical with those of Loh'qies hjiperboreus. Like that 

 sju'cies, it breeds in hifjjh Arctic ret^'ioiis, and is even much more decidedly Arctic in 

 its residence during the season of reproduction. It wanders, during the long period 

 that intervenes between these short seasons, irregularly over a large portion of the 

 iKirthern hemisphere, having been traced to Calcutta, where a single specimen Avas 

 jirocured, and to Xorthern Africa, where also one was obtained in January by Mr. 

 Tyrwhitt lUake (-'Ibis," 18C7). This species is also included by Middendorff among 

 the birds of Siberia, and is given as among those ■which penetrate to the extreme 

 north. It arrives with the Red-necked Thalarope on the Taimyr Kiver, and the 

 two were equally common there and on the Bogauida. In latitude ITf X. the last 

 was .seen on the loth of August, and its fresh eggs were obtained June 17th, and 

 half-fledged young ones July L'oth (O. 8.). The note of this bird resembles that of 

 the Northern I'halarope (Lo/)i/>rs lolxitus), but is even more Finch-like. 



In the English Arctic Expedition of 1 .S7r)-187() this species was found breeding near 

 the "Alert's " winter-ipiarters (lat '<'J° .'57' \.), and Mr. Feilden obtained a specimen 

 there — a female — on the oOtli of , uue, 1S7(). During the month of July he also 

 ol)served a pair on a small fresh-water pond in latitude 8li° 30' N., where they were 

 apitarently breeding. The female was larger and brighter-colored than the male. 

 Several other examples were seen in the same neighborhood by various members of 

 the Expedition. 



According to Mr. Kumlien, this is the "Whale-bird" and "Bow-head Bird" of 

 wlialemen. He met with large flocks of this species at great distances from land; 

 ill one instance, on Augtist 4tli, in latitude 41°, longitude 68° W. Their numbers in- 

 creased as he proceeded north, and at a distance of two hundred miles from the Lab- 

 rador coast he noticed them in a gale in very large flocks. He states that this bird 



