﻿EOOD OP AMERICAN PHALAEOPES, AVOCETS, AND STILTS « 



{Distichlis spicata), 3 times. These seeds are in the main fairly firm 

 and hard, and this, with the small number taken, suggests that they 

 were swallowed in part in lieu of gravel. Gravel is a fairly common 

 element in these stomachs but may at times be diflB.cult to obtain. 



SUMMARY 



The northern phalarope is among the smallest of our shorebirds. 

 Although better known than the preceding species its ways do not 

 bring it directly in contact with man. The bulk of its food is com- 

 posed of animal matter. A large part is of slight economic import- 

 ance, as the forms taken are of no significance in relation to crops or 

 other products save as they may perchance furnish food for other 

 organisms. Attention must be called however to the large number of 

 mosquito larv« consumed by the birds in May and June. In help- 

 ing to check these pests, the northern phalarope demonstrates its 

 value, and for this reason is worthy of every consideration. 



Table 1. — Material identified in the food of the northern phalarope as determined 

 from the examination of 155 stomachs, and the number of stomachs in which 

 each item was found 



Animal Matter 

 Anntjlata 



Nereis sp. (marine worms) 



Crustacea 



XJDidentified- 



Phtllopoda 



Artcmia fertilis (brine shrimps) 



Daphniidse (waterfleas) (winter eggs)., 



Amphipoda (shrimplets) 



Pontoporeia sp 



Gammanis confervicolns 



Qammarus sp 



other amphipods 



IsopoDA (sowbugs) 

 Cymothoidea 



Odonata (dragonflies) 



Dragonfly nymphs 



Ephemerida (Mayflies) 



Ephemerldae Qarvse) 



Oethcvteea (grasshoppers, etc.) 



Unidentified grasshopper 



Hemipteea (true bugs) '' 



Corizussp 



Notonecta sp. (back-swimmers) 



Cori.Tidae (water-boatmen) 



Other hcteropterans 



Agallia sanguinolen ta (leaf hoppmr) 



Other homopterans 



TrichOptera (caddlsflies) 

 ChUostignia praetcritum 



Lepidopteba (butterflies and moths) 



Unidentified moths 



Unidentified caterpillars 



Animal Matter — Continued 



CoLEOPTERA (beetles) 



Dyschirius sp 



Bembidion sp 



Pterostichus sp 



Amara sp 



Other Carabidae (ground beetles) 



Haliplus borealis 



Haliplus ruficoUis 



Haliplus longulus 



Haliplus sp 



Peltodytes callosus 



Other Haliplidse (crawling water-beetles)... 



Laccophilus sp 



Coelambus sp 



Deronectessp. 



Hydroporussp 



Dytiscidae (larvae) 



Other Dytiscidae (predacious diving beetles). 



Berosus sp 



Berosus sp. (larvae) 



Other Hydrophilidae (larvae) 



Other Hydrophilidae (water-scavenger bee- 

 tles) .. 



Sphaeridium scarabaeoides 



Unidentified aquatic beetles 



Caflus bistriatus 



Other Staphylinidae (rove beetles) 



Heterocerus sp 



Dolopius lateralis 



Unidentified Elateridae (click beet)~s) 



Monoxia sp 



Systcna bitaeniata 



Systena sp 



Crepidodera sp .- 



Other Chrysomelidae (leaf beet)' 



Blapstinus sp , 



Otiorhynchidae (weevils) , . 



Ilypftrodos sp 



Bayous rostrietus... 



Rliinoncus pyrrhopus 



Other Gurculionidae 



Scolytidae (bark beetles) 



Unidentified Rhynchophora 



DiPTERA (files) 



Tipiilldao (crane flies). 



Ti[)ulidie (larvae) 



ChironorHus sp 



Orthocladlus .SD 



