WATER-BIRD WAIFS 



migration, which must at least be mentioned, though 

 their numbers are but small. Some of these casual 

 migrant visitors are, for instance, the fine large Mallard, 

 which is more of a Western species; the Pintail, Bald- 

 pate, and Gadwall, which are grayish, rather nonde- 

 script in the fall plumage, when we generally see them, 

 and hard to tell apart; the Red-head, somewhat 

 similar to the larger, whiter and rarer Canvasback, 

 which latter is now very rare with us; the curious 

 little Ruddy Duck, a tame brownish bird, with a stiff 

 tail, now and then appearing in flocks, which are soon 

 shot off; those miniature ducks, tlie Blue-winged and 

 Green-winged Teals, delightful, sprightly little people, 

 all too scarce. The Greater and Lesser Scaups, or 

 Blue-bills, sometimes flock in to the larger ponds or 

 lakes late in the fall, when we may also see the Ameri- 

 can Golden-eye, or Whistler, which makes a pleasing 

 seolian-harp humming sound with its wings as it flies. 

 Its small near relative, the Bufflehead, I used to see, 

 but less often of late years. A heavy easterly gale in 

 October and November will often drive in certain sea 

 ducks from the ocean to ponds far inland. Such are 

 the three large black or dusky species called Scoters — 

 the Surf, White-winged and American Scoter — and the 

 black and white, noisy *'01d Squaw," or Long-tailed 

 Duck. I remember one storm, in the middle of one 

 October, which drove hundreds of these sea ducks 

 into ponds a hundred miles from the coast. 



Besides the above there are also three species classed 



267 



