VOL. viii.i RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 



11 



male, for the traditional dominance of the mascuhne sex 

 is entirely unknown in this species. Certainly this 

 cock bird wa& a most henpecked little fowl. Possibly 

 he had been captured immediately on his arrival from 

 the sea. At any rate, he was apparently tired out, 

 and whenever the hen stopped, as she frequently did, to 

 preen herself or feed, he sat down where he v/as, and 



" in the long herbage at the water-side." 



tucking his bill under his feathers, went to sleep. Before 

 he had dozed for more than a minute, however, the 

 female would peck him awake, and, calling querulously, 

 force him to follow her while she led the way through the 

 marsh. Now and then she flew at him and chased him 

 about, as if losing patience. This little scene was repeated 

 three or four times, and the birds were so confiding that 

 we were able to photograph them in the act. 



It is difficult to say how many Phalaropes breed in 

 this bog. From what we saw, we should be inclined 

 to put the number at anything between twenty-five 

 and thirty-five pairs. The owner of the bog gives the 



