ISSUED IN BEHALF OF THE SCIENCE WHICH IT ADVOCATES. 



Volume III, 



SEPTEMBER, 1877. 



Number 7. 



1 1: 



w. 



Wilson's Phalarope. 



tHE nesting habits of this bird are not 

 very well known to collectors, for the 

 "^^ reason perhaps, that they breed in is- 

 olated and unvisited localities. It really 

 is a rare bird in most of the Atlantic States, 

 and but few or no authentic instances of 

 their nesting here are on record. Their 

 breeding ground seems to be the great re- 

 gion of the North-west, though even in that 

 part of the country but few collectors have 

 taken any eggs or found their breeding 

 places. According to authors, the nest is 

 built much like those of the other birds of 

 its family and sub-order, and its breeding 

 characteristics are much the same. The 

 nest is a matted collection of marsh vege- 

 tation, placed in the grass of a lowland prai- 

 rie or boggy field, frequently near the wa- 

 ter. Dr. Coues avers that they breed in 

 company with various relative water birds, 

 Curlews, Godwits, Coots, Ducks, which 

 would show that they prefer marshes bor- 

 dering upon some body of water. They 

 doubtless breed in companies, and are prob- 

 ably to be found where there are suitable 

 bogs, in all parts of the North-west. 



The egg of this Phalarope is very simi- 

 lar in contour and general mai'kings to 



those of the Sandpipers and Plover, which 

 birds the Phalaropes, indeed, resemble. 

 The number is usually four. They may 

 be described in general as follows : Shape, 

 a moderate and regular pyriform, with a 

 blunt large end ; color, either an amber- 

 brown or a buff-brown, varying somewhat, 

 darker or lighter, in different specimens ; 

 the whole surface covered with spots, dots, 

 and blotches of deep umber or chocolate- 

 brown, distributed somewhat evenly over 

 the surface, although the majority of spec- 

 imens, as in the case of nearly all spotted 

 eggs, exhibit more or less heavy confluent 

 splashes on the greater end : a few speci- 

 mens will perhaps, be covered with fine dots 

 and but few large markings ; average size, 

 from .85 by 1.20 inch, to .95 by 1.30 inch. 



The specimen from which the drawing 

 was taken, was obtained under peculiar cir- 

 cumstances. A female bird was brought 



