WILSON PSALABOPE 335 



describes it as a soft, trumpeting yiia, yna, and Chapman (1912, p. 

 241) gives it as a soft qua or quok. W. P. Taylor (1912, p. 359), who 

 observed the species in northwestern Nevada, describes the note as a 

 nasal oit, oit, oit, somewhat resembling the croak of a toad during 

 the breeding season. "At the instant of utterance of the note the 

 bird which is calling raises its head somewhat, pauses momentarily 

 in its flight and its throat bulges slightly. The females . . . evi- 

 dently uttered most of the call-notes" (W. P. Taylor, loc. cit.). 



This phalarope differs from the other two species in spending less 

 time swimming upon the surface and more of its time wading along 

 the shores or banks of pools and streams where it gleans its food in 

 much the same manner as the non-swimming shore birds. Because of 

 this, individuals of the species have been mistaken for Western Soli- 

 tary Sandpipers. Wilson Phalaropes are usually quite tame and will 

 allow themselves to be closely approached. At times they swim buoy- 

 antly upon the surface of the water, but seldom for a long time or very 

 far from the shore. They rarely if ever dive, and when frightened 

 escape by flight. Their flight is strong and takes a zig-zag course when 

 they are alarmed, but in the absence of danger it is slower and more 

 direct (Goss, 1891, p. 151). When feeding on the surface of the water 

 they have been occasionally observed to whirl and bob up and down 

 much as do the other phalaropes. They have also been seen to stalk 

 and capture insects on a muddy flat (W. B. Bryant, 1893a, p. 55). 



In California the Wilson Phalarope breeds during the month of 

 June, and as far as is now known, only in the plateau region east 

 of the crest of the Sierra Nevada and northward from the vicinity of 

 Lake Tahoe. Its reported breeding in the San Joaquin Valley (Los 

 Banos) has not been substantiated by the discovery of either eggs or 

 downy young there. It has been found (Ray, 1912&, p. 145) nesting 

 at Lake Tahoe as early as June 4 (set of four, one-third incubated). 

 H. C. Bryant (1914e, p. 232) found a nest on June 8 at Lower Kla- 

 math Lake, containing egg-shells from which the young had already 

 hatched. Ray (1913, p. 113) found a nest at Lake Tahoe on June 6 

 containing a single fresh egg. By June 19 this nest held four eggs 

 in which incubation was well advanced. Bliss (1893, p. 226) found 

 a nest in the same locality on June 16, 1889, with eggs on the point of 

 hatching, while H. W. Carriger has a set taken there June 17, 1911, 

 which consists of four fresh eggs. Sheldon (1907, p. 187) took a 

 chick in down near Eagle Lake, Lassen County, on July 1 ; this would 

 indicate hatching during the last week of June. It is thus probably 

 safe to say that the nesting period extends from late May to the end 

 of June. 



The nesting site is usually in grassy meadows or marshes, where 

 the nest will be well concealed, and may be either in the near vicinity 



