APPENDIX. 511 



before the ice of the small lakes is broken up. The 

 fidigulince, or sea ducks, are also very numerous in the 

 fur countries, either on their passage farther north, or 

 as halting to breed there. The eider and king ducks 

 are plentiful on the coast and islands of the Arctic sea; 

 and also on the coast of Hudson's Bay to the north of 

 Churchill ; but are never seen in the fresh waters of 

 the interior. In their migrations, it would appear 

 that they keep near the open sea, passing along the 

 eastern coast of Labrador. The American scoter 

 (oidemia Americana) is also an inhabitant of the sea- 

 coast only, breeding near Churchill. The surf and 

 velvet ducks travel through the interior to the arctic 

 coasts and islands, where they breed : they are very 

 abundant, but not much valued as articles of food, 

 except when better provisions are scarce. The noisy 

 long-tailed duck assembles in still larger flocks than 

 these, and breeds in the same places. It is this bird 

 which the Canadian voyagers celebrate in their songs, 

 under the name of " caccawee." The canvas-back, 

 pochard, scaup, and ring-necked ducks, breed every 

 where to the northward of the 50th parallel of 

 latitude up to the extremity of the continent; but do 

 not appear often on the sea-coast. They associate 

 much with the anatince, seeking their food in the 

 same lakes and ponds, but taking it more generally 

 from the bottom in deeper places, and consequently 

 diving more. The Rocky-mountain garrot, golden 

 eye, and spirit ducks, are still better divers than the 

 preceding, and the two last are very numerous. Their 

 flesh is tough. The harlequin duck is rare, and the 

 very curious ruddy duck, though plentiful on the plains 

 of the Saskatchewan, does not go much farther north- 

 wards. This bird has a tail very similar in structure to 



