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FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



an increase in numbers over the past 20 years. 

 His counts have run as high as 51 for a 45-minute 

 period, and he has noted that the typical ratio is 

 about 12 of the brown immatures to every black 

 and white adult. There is only one definite record 

 each for the coastal waters of Mississippi, Louisi- 

 ana, and Veracruz ; three for Alabama and Texas ; 

 and four for the Dry Tortugas or the adjacent 

 waters. Gannets have also been seen at various 

 points on a direct line between the mouth of the 

 Mississippi Delta and Yucatdn, in April and May. 



White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi. 



A winter visitant (October 20 to April 17), 

 once recorded in August (Rockport, Texas). The 

 22 records from the Gulf area — 6 from Florida, 1 

 from Alabama, 9 from Louisiana, 6 from Texas — 

 involve a total of 31 bu-ds. The most recent dates 

 are November 12, 1950, at Pensacola, Florida; 

 December 23, 1950, at Cameron, Louisiana; 

 November 3, 1951, in St. Bernard Parish, Louisi- 

 ana; and December 9, 1951, at Cove, Texas. All 

 of the birds have been observed from the shore, or 

 a few miles inland, and, since elsewhere scoters 

 occur most abundantly at sea beyond the range of 

 vision of mainland observers, these records may be 

 indicative of much commoner occurrence offshore. 



Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata. 



Winter visitant, recorded from September 10 

 to March 12. There are 11 definite records — 3 

 from Florida, 3 from Alabama, 3 from Louisiana, 

 and 2 from Texas. The most recent observations 

 are November 11, 1950, at Cove, Texas, and 

 December 26, 1950, at Grand Isle, Louisiana. All 

 of these observations are from close inshore, but 

 general statements quoted by Howell (1924, p. 65) 

 indicate that the surf scoter has occurred in flocks 

 of 50 to 75 in the sound near Coffee Island, 

 Alabama. 



American Scoter Oidemia nigra. 



Less frequently reported than the other scoters, 

 but seen in greater numbers. Prior to 1948, there 

 was but a single observation on the Gulf, that of a 

 flock of 75 on April 15, 1938, 75 yards off the shore 

 at Holly Beach, Cameron Parish, Louisiana 

 (Lowery, unpublished notes). More recently 

 there have been reports from three additional 

 localities: AUigator Point, Florida, (5 birds on 

 June 26, 1948; 70 on March 18, 1949; 48 on March 



19, 1949); Cove, Texas (single birds kUled on 

 November 11, 1950, and November 9, 1951); and 

 Rockport, Texas (4 on January 13, 1950, and 1 

 on January 28, 1950). 



Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius. 



A winter visitant, noted from October 13 to 

 March 17, in the northeast sector of the Gulf. 

 Although the species has only twice been observed 

 on the beach, it is of fairly abundant annual 

 occurrence 5 to 40 miles offshore from Pensacola. 

 On January 15, 1950, for example, flocks number- 

 ing up to 25 were encountered there throughout 

 the day. The largest flock noted was a close 

 aggregation of about 300 on February 29, 1948. 

 There are no records elsewhere in the Gulf. 



Northern Phalarope Lobipes lohatus. 



Recorded in groups of three and eight, 175 miles 

 west of Tampa, Florida, on March 4, 1918 (Hel- 

 muth 1920, p. 258). Two were seen at Aransas 

 Refuge, Texas, April 4, 1940, and seven on 

 April 25. 



Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus. 



The relative status of the three species of jaegers 

 in the Giflf is a somewhat uncertain matter, since 

 they are difficult to distinguish in life even at close 

 range and since most of the records are based upon 

 sight identifications. No specimen of the poma- 

 rine jaeger has ever been taken in the Gulf proper, 

 but a fair proportion of the sight identifications 

 have been assigned to this species. There has 

 been only one report from the western half of the 

 Gulf, that of a single bird seen on Bolivar Penin- 

 sula, Texas, June 16 and 27, 1933 (Williams 1938, 

 p. 68) ; but there are several records for the eastern 

 half: various points at sea in March and April 

 (Helmuth 1920, p. 261; Moore 1951, p. 13); one 

 on September 17, 1950, 30 miles off Carabelle, 

 Florida (Stoddard, in litt.) ; one on January 10, 

 1951, at sea 158 miles north of Progreso, Yucatdn 

 (BuUis, in litt.); and one on August 3, 1930, off 

 Contoy Island, Quintana Roo. Jaegers seem to be 

 a bit more common in the Straits of Florida and 

 Cuban waters,where this species has been collected. 



Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus. 



Seemingly slightly commoner than the preceding 

 species, especially to the north : not uncommon in 

 Cuban waters; flocks of 10 to 15 reported by 



