94 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Avere never uumei-ous enough to iifCDimt for tlie vast numbers of 

 males to l)e found. 



" On August 23rd, 1878, I visited Stewart Island, about ten miles 

 to the seaward of St. Michael's. As I neared the island in my kyak, 

 I found the water literally black with the males of this species, which 

 were united in an enormous flock, forming a continuous band around 

 the outer end of the island for a distance of about ten miles in 

 length, and from one-half to three-fourths of a miU' in width. As the 

 boat approached them, those nearest began to rise heavily by aid of 

 wings and feet from the glassy surface of the undulating but calm 

 water. The first to rise communicated the alarm to those beyond, 

 until as far as could be seen the water was covered with flapping 

 wings, and the air filled witli a roar like that of a cataract. The 

 rapid vil^ration produced in the aii- b}' tens of thousands of wings 

 could ])e plainly felt. 



" In all my northern experience among the water-fowl which flock 

 there in summer, I never saw any approach to the number of large 

 birds gathered hei'e in one flock, nor shall I soon forget the grand 

 effect produced by this enormous Inxly of Inrds as they took wing and 

 swept out to sea in a great l)hick cloud, and settled again a mile or .so 

 >iway." 



Genus ERISMATURA Bona p. 

 ERISMATURA RUBIDA (Wils.). 



r.l. Ruddy Duck. (K'.T) 



Ma/< in fiiU jil iiiiiuii< : — Bill. slaty-l>lue ; the nail, Mack; neck all ruuiid ami 

 the upper parts, bright chestnut; the lower parts, silky white, watered with 

 -dusky ; chin and sides of the head, white ; the crown and nape, black. Female: — 

 Brown above, tinely dotted and waved with dusky ; paler and duller below, 

 with sometimes a slight tawny tinge, which also occurs on the side of the liead. 

 Length, 14-17; wing, .l-H; tarsus, I|. 



H.\B. — Northern Noi'th America, geneially l)recding throughout its range. 



Nest, on the bog near the water. 



Kggs, five to ten ; graj'ish-white. 



Ml'. Shields writes from Los Angeles, Califoiiiia. that it breeds there 

 ^ibundcintly, preferring the abandcmed nest of a coot to one of its own making. 



The Ruddy Duck is very generally distributed throughout Ontario, 

 but, except near its breeding places, it appears only as a visitor in 

 spring and fall. At the St. Clair Flats, T have seen it in summer, 

 and liJive been told that a few pairs biccd tiirrc every season. The 



