EED PHALAEOPE. 15 



Migration range. — Enormous flocks of the red phalarope have been 

 noted on the Atlantic Ocean during both spring and fall migration. 

 These flocks are common and regular around Newfoundland; become 

 less common southward off the coast of Maine; and are rare off the 

 coast of Massachusetts, except when driven inshore by storms. The 

 red phalarope swims as lightly and easily as any duck, and during 

 migration has been noted repeatedly gathering its food from the 

 surface of the ocean. Indeed, it seems to have an aversion to land 

 except during the breeding season. The migration route by which 

 these flocks of red phalarope pass south after they leave Massa- 

 chusetts is unknown. The species is known only as a rare straggler 

 on the coast of the United States south of Long Island, and as 

 already remarked is not recorded from the West Indies nor from the 

 east coast of South America north of Argentina. On the Pacific 

 coast the species is an abundant breeder in Alaska, and the flocks 

 pass along the coast of California both spring and fall, after which 

 they can no longer be traced. A few occur on the coast of Lower 

 California, and the species is a rare straggler to the coast of Chile. 

 The principal winter home of the thousands of birds reared each 

 season in arctic America remains yet to be determined. 



The red phalarope occurs as a rare straggler in the interior of the 

 United States in migration, and has been recorded from Illinois, 

 Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, 

 and Wyoming. The first and only record for Colorado is that of a 

 single specimen taken by Edward A. Preble, of the Biological Survey, 

 July 25, 1895, near Loveland. 



Spring migration. — Some early flocks appeared off the coast of 

 North Carolina the first week in April, 1896 (Thayer) ; most of the 

 migration on the coast of Massachusetts occurs during May, especially 

 May 20-30; the first appeared June 2, 1820, on Melville Island, lati- 

 tude 74° N. (Parry), and June 3, 1852 (Armstrong), near the same 

 locality; on June 18, 1883, the first was seen at Fort Conger, Elles- 

 mere Island, latitude 81° 40' N. (Greely); and on June 20, 1876, 

 the species appeared 1 degree farther north on the same island 

 (Feilden). Even considering the 1st of May as the time of arrival 

 on the Massachusetts coast, which is probably too early, there are 

 left only fifty days for the 3,000-mile trip from Massachusetts to 

 Ellesmere Island, an average rate of migration of 60 miles per day, 

 which is exceeded by very few species. In spring migration the red 

 phalarope has been noted on the coast of California from April 3 to 

 June 3 (Kaeding), and reached Point Barrow, Alaska, June 4, 1882, 

 and May 30, 1883 (Murdoch). 



Eggs have been taken in Greenland June 3-28 (Hagerup); near 

 Fort Anderson June 27 (MacFarlane) ; and at St. Michael June 8 

 (Nelson). 



