64 Birds of Colorado 



California and Florida, and in the interior to the Great Lakes and 

 the prairie states to the west. 



In Colorado the status of this Scoter is very similar to that of 

 the ^\^lite- winged , but it has not been noticed quite so often. H. G. 

 Snaith first reported it — a young male or female — from Marston 

 Lake, near Denver, in October, 1887. There are two examples in 

 the State collection at Denver — a male from Barr Lake, obtained by 

 L. B. Meek, October 22nd, 1899, and another from Loveland, shot 

 by H. A. Flynn, October 31st of the sajne year. 



Habits. — All the Scoters are very similar in habits ; 

 they are essentially marine Ducks, feeding principally 

 on mussels and other shell-fish. Consequently their 

 flesh is coarse and rank. They live almost entirely on 

 the water, sleeping there at night and swimming and 

 diving during the day. 



Genus ERISMATURA. 



Bill about equal to the head ; the nail at the tip hardly visible from 

 above but expanded below, and decurved and bent back underneath 

 the tip of the bill ; tail-feathers 16 to 20 in number, elongated, more 

 than half the length of the wing, stiffened and exposed almost to their 

 bases owing to the shortness of the coverts ; tarsus short, about haK 

 the middle toe with claw. 



An almost cosmopolitan genus with only one North American species. 



Ruddy Duck. Erismatura jamaicensis. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 167 — Colorado Records— Aiken 72, p. 210; 

 Drew 85, p. 18 ; Beckham 85, p. 144 ; W. G. Smith 88, p. 132 ; Morrison 

 89, p. 165 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 57, 196 ; 06, p. 63 ; Keyser 02, p. 143 ; 

 Dille 03, p. 74 ; Henderson 03, p. 234, 09, p. 226 ; Warren 09, p. 13. 



Description. — Male — Crown and back of the neck black ; sides of the 

 face from the bill to the ear-coverts, including the chin, white ; lower 

 neck all round, sides and upper-parts, rufous chestnut ; dusky brown 

 on the wings, rump and tail ; below silvery white, slightly mottled 

 with brown, especially about the lower flanks ; iris reddish-brown, 

 bill, eyelids and feet bluish. Length 17 ; wing 6-0 ; tail 3-5 ; cuhnen 

 1-6 ; tarsus 1-2. 



The young ntale and adult female are mottled rufous and dusky, 

 speckled brown, above and below, rather darker on the crown and 

 whiter on the cheeks ; below, the rufous forms a tawny wash. 



The shape of the bill and the long stiff tail at once distinguishes 

 this Duck from all others. 



