116 BIRDS 



gulls. One of the most beautiful sights in the prairie 

 regions from northern Illinois through Minnesota and 

 North Dakota is a number of these graceful creatures float- 

 ing buoyantly in a shallow pool. 



The females are by far the handsomer, slightly larger 

 than their mates and handsomely though delicate!}^ colored. 

 While looking for the nest the bird student is not deceived 

 by these reversed conditions, so characteristic of the species. 

 Naturally, the dull-colored bird among all other American 

 species, where a difference in plumage is noticeable, assumes 

 the household duties. Therefore, the uneasiness of the little, 

 inconspicuous male phalarope conveys the idea that we are 

 trespassing wpon the breeding-grounds. The handsome 

 female deposits her eggs in a nest which has been con- 

 structed by her mate. It is composed of dead stems placed 

 in a hollov/ underneath a tuft of grass, or at times a large, 

 bulky structure is arranged on top of the damp soil just 

 above high-water mark. 



The female, after laying the eggs, usually joins others of 

 her sex, and they move leisurely about the country, feeding 

 on mud flats or wet meadows, until they become extremely 

 fat. They do not join the males or young until time for the 

 southward migrations in September. 



The note of the phalarope is a beautiful little "honk" 

 with a nasal twang to it. I discovered a small colony, com- 

 prising less than a dozen birds, early in May, 1911. They 

 were occupying a slough near a body of fresh water. It 

 was necessary to climb a fence before entering the nesting- 

 grounds. This was a signal for the little colony to rise 

 simultaneously and fly back and forth over the marsh with 



