The Wilson Phalarope 



stunt, must needs unwind; but no, when he resumed his task a moment 

 later it was to continue anti-clockwise. 



It is a bewildering sight to see two or three of these birds operating in 

 close proximity, and close attention is enough to develop pink mice on 

 the retina. 



The foregoing account was written in 1914. Having been privileged 

 to spend the seasons of 1916, 1919 and 1922 in more or less intimate con- 

 tact with this species upon its breeding grounds, I am moved to record 

 additional data. 



We have already acknowledged that Mrs. Wilson wears the breeches, 

 and that she is more inclined to club life than she is to household cares. 

 The case is, however, much more serious than we had at first suspected. 

 I owe the original intimation of the true state of affairs to Mr. A. O. Tre- 

 ganza, the veteran oologist of Salt Lake City; and subsequent investiga- 

 tion of my own has abundantly confirmed his claims. Mrs. Wilson is a 

 bigamist. Not occasionally, and of course not invariably, but very 

 usually she maintains two establishments. Now that attention is called to 

 it, we see that our note-books are full of references to female Phalaropes 

 seen in company with two males. The association cannot be accidental, 

 for we are in the very midst of the breeding season. The males, frightened 

 by our presence in the swamp, and not daring to remain longer upon their 

 eggs, have sought the comforting presence of the head of their house. The 

 three take counsel together, and it is only when the redoubtable lady 

 announces that the way is clear, that the dutiful cuckolds trail off to their 

 nests. 



On the 6th and 7th of June, 1922, our M. C. 0. party of three mem- 

 bers gave close attention to a swamp in Long Valley, southern Mono 

 County, at an altitude of 7000 feet. We took eleven sets, of four eggs each, 

 of the Wilson Phalarope, and we noted a distinct tendency of the nests to 

 group themselves in pairs. In only one instance, however, were we able 

 to trace clearly a connection between two occupied nests. These two, con- 

 taining heavily incubated eggs, were situated only 42 feet apart, and the 

 two males who were flushed from them by a surprise coup of ours joined 

 themselves immediately to the only female who had shown any solici- 

 tude concerning this section of the swamp. 



The extraordinary state of affairs herein divulged is probably both 

 cause and effect. According to a physician friend of Mr. Treganza's, who, 

 pending the completion of his studies, desires his name withheld, the 

 females of Wilson Phalarope are excessively afflicted with diseased ovaries. 

 Thus, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of non-breeding females are found 

 during summer in the vicinity of Salt Lake, and examination shows that 

 invariably these non-breeders are possessed of diseased and non-function- 



ngo 



