The Wilson Phalarope 



is fortunate enough to encounter a company of these birds on the water 

 has a treat in store. Instead of swinging from side to side with a rhythmical 

 motion, as do the "Reds" and "Northerns," the Wilson whirls all the way 

 around. Moreover, he keeps on whirling, and though he pauses for the 

 fraction of a second to inspect his chances, he goes on and on again like an 

 industrious, mad clock. One bird which I had under the binoculars turned 

 completely around 247 times in one spot, without stopping save for instan- 

 taneous dabs at prey. These dabs were directed forward or backward, 

 i. e., with or against the direction of the body motion. A single gyration 

 normally contains two such minute pauses, accompanied by a hitching 

 motion of the head; and these are evidently the periods of maximum 

 attention, since they are followed by, or rather flow into, the prey-stroke, 

 if game is sighted. "Game" is not always abundant nor certain, and I 

 have seen a bird whirl a dozen times without a single stroke. 



Most interesting of all is the probable fact that each bird has his 

 habitual direction of revolution, clockwise or anti-clockwise, but not 

 both. One would think that the whirling dervishes, at least he of the 247 



'\*Jjj>'j£skS 





Taken in Inyo County 



NEST AND EGGS OF WILSON PHALAROPE 



Photo by the Author 



1189 



