RED PHALAROPE. 405 



think must have been composed of at least a hundred individuals, I went 

 to the same place on the following afternoon. As I crossed Bear Grass 

 Creek, near its junction with the Ohio, I observed eight or ten of them 

 walking over the green moss on the surface of the water near the shore. 

 Of these I succeeded in killing three. In the course of a walk of two miles 

 along the banks of the river, I could see none ; and some Blue-winged 

 Teals happening to pass over from the stream in the direction of a pond 

 between it and Kieger's Ferry-house, I went in pursuit of them. Before 

 I got up they had flown away, or had passed over without alighting. There, 

 however, to my great joy, I found all the Phalaropes swimming along the 

 margins and picking up the seeds of grasses. They were much less shy 

 than when I met with them on the river, so that I soon procured eight 

 more at a single shot. The rest rose, emitting quick sharp cries, performed 

 a few evolutions at a considerable height, and went off to the westward. 



On the 1st of September 1831, while on board the packet ship Co- 

 lumbia, commanded by my good friend Josfph Delano, Esq. Nantucket 

 being distant about sixty miles, we came upon an extensive bank of sea- 

 weeds and froth, about a mile in length, which I was told was produced 

 by the action of the tides. On this bed were hundreds of Phalaropes 

 of this species, walking as unconcernedly as if on land. As we approached 

 it, they rose and flew around the vessel for a few minutes, and when we 

 had passed through we saw them re-alight. 



I have not seen the Red Phalarope alive on any other occasion than 

 those mentioned above ; and I am indebted to my generous friend Cap- 

 tain James Clark Ross for the beautiful specimens in summer plumage, 

 from which the figures in the plate were taken. 



None of those which I had wounded attempted to dive. When caught 

 and held in the hand, they merely fluttered and tried to escape, like other 

 small birds. Their flight was rapid, resembling that of the Red-backed 

 Sandpiper, Tringa alpina, and they performed various evolutions, some- 

 times skimming over the water, when they kept more apart than either 

 when rising at first, or when they reached a certain height, on attaining 

 which they pursued their course, with alternate inclinations to either side. 



According to Captain J. C. Ross, these birds breed in great numbers 

 far north. The eggs, of which he has favoured me with some, measure 

 an inch and a quarter by seven-eighths ; their ground colour is dull green 

 ish-yellow, irregularly blotched and dotted with reddish-brown. 



I 



