204 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
some years ago at Sutton Ambion, near Market Bosworth, in 
I^eicestershire. As far as the circumstances can be ascertained, 
the occurrence seems to be perfectly genuine. 
Range outside the British Islands.— Wilson’s Phalarope is gene- 
rally distributed through temperate North America, principally 
inland, and breeds from Northern Illinois and Utah to the 
Saskatchewan region, ranging south in winter, through Central 
America and South to Brazil and Patagonia. 
Hahits. — Mr. D. G. Elliott gives the following account of its 
habits : — “ As a rule, Wilson’s Phalarope goes in small com- 
panies, though at times large flocks of several hundreds are 
met with. It is not very shy, frequently permitting one to 
approach within a few feet, and it does not swim so much upon 
the water as is the habit of the other species, but wades about 
up to its belly, picking its food from off the surface. When 
necessary, however, it swims gracefully, and with ease, and the 
young, soon after emerging from the egg, are equally at home 
upon the surface of pond.s, paddling about and diving with 
facility. The female is the larger and altogether the handsomer 
bird, the male having very little of the brilliant tints which ren- 
der his mate so attractive when arrayed in her full summer dress. 
Upon him, too, devolves the duty of incubation to a very great 
degree, the female amusing herself upon or near the water. 
Like the other species of Phalarope, she makes all the advances 
at pairing-season, and sometimes more than one female fixes 
her affection upon some particular male, who thereupon has 
but little peace, as he is pursued from place to place by the 
rival suitors. Finally, the matter having been successfully 
arranged, the winged Dido bears off her ^Eneas, and a slight 
depression having been scratched in the soil, and lined with 
grass, or a looscly-constructed nest made in a clump of grass, 
the eggs, three or four in number, are deposited, and the niale 
assumes the novel and unusual duties for one of his sex, of incu- 
bation. Wilson’s Phalarope is a rather silent species, its note 
having a kind of nasal quack-like sound. Its food is similar 
to that of the other Phalaropes.” 
Eggg. — Vary from a fawn-colour to a rufous-drab, profusely 
spoUed and speckled with rufous shades of brown, thickest at 
the larger end. Axis, 1-35 inch; diam., o’qs. 
