Identifier: birdsofnewenglan00insamu (find matches)
Title: The birds of New England and adjacent states : containing descriptions of the birds of New England ... together with a history of their habitats... ; with illustrations of many species of the birds, and accurate figures of their eggs
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Samuels, Edward A. (Edward Augustus), 1836-1908
Subjects: Birds Birds Birds
Publisher: Boston : Noyes, Holmes and Co.
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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ng coverts white; sides and flanks ashy, frequently mixed with red-dish; throat, breast, and abdomen white; bill and legs dark; iris dark-brown. Young. — Entire upper parts brownish-black; many feathers edged and tippedwith dull yellow and ashy; under parts white; tips of greater wing coverts white. Total length, about seven inches; wing, four and half; tail, two and a quarter;bill, one; tarsus, three-fourths of an inch. THE Northern Phalarope is rarely found on the seacoastof New England in the spring aud autumn migrations ;appearing in the former about the 10th of May, and in thelatter about the 2oth of August. The migrations are per-formed by the birds in small flocks out at sea; and it is onlywhen they are driven into shore by heavy winds and stormsthat they are found here, and then scarcely more than two orthree birds are taken in a season. This species is equally aswimmer and wader. When on the water, it has the appear-ance of a small Gull or Tern, swimming with great elegance
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THE NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 431 and ease, frequently dipping its bill into the water to securea small marine animal or fly. Its motions are so gracefulwhen thus employed, that the bird has been compared to aswan; and all writers agree that it is one of the most beauti-ful of our aquatic birds. On the shore, it frequents small pools or ponds of water,near the coast, in which it wades and swims with equalfacility; frequently uttering a shrill cry similar to the sylla-bles creet cree teet. It is said that the same pairs are faith-ful to each other for successive seasons. I know not howtrue this maybe; but it seems not improbable, from thefact, that, in their winter homes on the shores of the Gulfof Mexico, they are most often seen in small parties of threeor four, often by pairs. This species breeds in the mostnorthern sections of the continent. It builds its nest aboutthe first week in June, in the Hudsons Bay country; thisis constructed of a few pieces of grass and moss, put looselytogethe

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