BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 113 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill strong, flattened and widened towards the end; wings 
long, tail short; legs short, plumage thick and compact like that 
of the swimming birds; head above, space around base of bill, 
throat and back, brownish-black; feathers of last edged broadly 
with pale, ochre-yellow; wings and tail ashy-brown, paler on 
the wing coverts; greater wing coverts widely tipped with 
white; stripe on cheek white; entire under parts deep, brownish 
red, inclining to purple on the abdomen, and with a glaucous 
cast in very mature specimens; under wing coverts and axil- 
laries pure white; bill greenish-yellow; feet dark-bluish. 
Length, 7.50; wing, 5.25; tail, 2.75; bill, 1; tarsus, 0.75. 
Habitat, northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding in 
the artic regions. and migrating south in winter; in the United 
States south to the Middle States, Ohio Valley, and Cape St. 
Lucas. Chiefly maritime. 
PHALAROPUS LOBATUS (L). (228.) 
NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 
About as well represented as the Red, the Northern Phala- 
rope reaches us at the same time in May with the other, in 
small parties of five or six, or even less in many instances, in 
the vernal migrations. In the latter part of August, they 
return with their numbers somewhat augmented, which are 
still increasing somewhat until their final departure in Sep- 
tember. Graceful in every movement, and extremely active 
in procuring their food, which consistsof small mollusks, insects, 
worms, and crustaceans, they cannot fail to arrest the atten- 
tion wherever seen. It affects pools. and ponds of water con- 
taining different forms of aquatic insect life. A tender bird, 
all leave on the first advent.of the first decided frost, which has 
occurred within my own memory several times, on the night of 
August 31st and September 1st. 
They are known to breed in the higher latitudes, but none 
are known to do so this side of the British possessions. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Neck encircled with a ring of bright rufous, with a stripe of 
the same on each side; head above and neck behind, sooty- 
ash; back, wings and tail, brownish-black, paler on the rump, 
mixed with bright ferruginous on the back; tips of greater 
wing coverts white; sides and flanks ashy, frequently mixed 
with reddish; throat, breast, and abdomen white; bill, legs and 
iris dark brown. 
Length, 7; wing, 4.50; tail, 2.25; bill, 1; tarsus, 0.75. 
Habitat, northern North America. 
