﻿FOOD OF AMEEIOAN PHALABOPES, AVOCETS, AND STILTS 9 



of their sex, many of which perhaps have been unmated and have 

 given no attention that season to the reproduction of their kind. 

 Nests are placed in little clumps of grass and are of the simplest 

 construction. Four large eggs, handsomely spotted and colored,, 

 are deposited on a slight cushion of broken grass stems. The care 

 and incubation of these falls entirely to the male. Once the eggs, 

 are hatched the birds are more retiring than ever. The grasses in 

 the marshes have grown steadily since nesting began, increasing the- 

 cover, and the yoimg slip about through this as readily as do rails. 

 It is rare indeed to capture them. Young and adults in winter 

 plumage are nondescript, plain-colored birds, entirely different from, 

 the old birds in spring. 



Though the Wilson phalaropes often feed while swimming on the 

 surface of the water, they are much more frequently seen walking 

 about on mud bars than other phalaropes. Since the birds appear to- 

 range entirely on inland waters, their food shows certain differences 

 from that of the related species. In all, 106 stomachs of this bird; 

 were examined, representing the months from May to September. 

 The majority were taken in May, June, and July, and the material 

 for August and September is comparatively slight. The stomachs, 

 at hand were collected throughout the range of the bird in the United 

 States, with a small number of specimens from Canada. The animal 

 food represented amounts to 93.3 per cent of the total, and the vege- 

 table, 6.7 per cent. Gravel was present in many stomachs in fair- 

 quantity. 



ANIMAL FOOD 



Crustacea. — In the food of the Wilson phalarope, crustaceans 

 amount to 3.6 per cent, a much smaller quantity than in the two 

 related species. The winter eggs of water fleas (Daphniidse) were 

 found 7 times, and the brine shrimp (Artemia fertilis) 4. Large 

 flocks of phalaropes frequented the lake front on Great Salt Lake,, 

 where these tiny shrimps are available in large numbers. Amphipoda 

 not identified were found in 7 instances. The majority of thet 

 crustaceans were taken in May. 



Heteroptera. — Aquatic bugs were favored food, forming 24.4 per 

 cent of the total. Water-boatmen (Corixidse) were especially sought, 

 being found in 36 stomachs, some of which were crammed with them. 

 Back-swimmers (Notonectidse) were found 5 times, and shore bugs 

 (Salda) 5 times, picked up as they ran about on the mud. Other 

 bug remains not further identified were found in 4 instances. Al- 

 though heteropterans made nearly one-fourth of the food, the groups 

 represented were very few m number. The number of water-boatmen 

 secured, insects which frequently are found in great abundance in 

 the shallow waters of ponds and marshes, is worthy of attention. 



Coleoptera. — Beetles are found in much greater variety than the 

 true bugs, and in number of species replace the crustaceans taken by 

 other phalaropes. They amount to 20.1 per cent. Ground beetles- 

 (Carabidse) were found 13 times; among these a group of small shore- 

 haunting species (Bemhidion) w'as represented in 7 instances. Crawl- 

 ing water-beetles (Haliplida;) were noted 15 times, and predacious^ 

 diving beetles (Dytiscidsej 34, in 8 cases being larval individuals.. 

 Water-scavenger Ixiotles were also commonly reprcs(^nted, having 

 been taken by 33 birds, in 6 cases in th(! larval stale. The propor- 

 52519—2.51 2 



