90 HISTORY OF THE 



o£ the lores, bordering the lateral base of the bill; upper parts brownish dusky, 

 the contour feathers sometimes showing paler tips; lower parts grayish brown, 

 becoming nearly white on the abdomen, the feathers of the breast and sides 

 tipped With the same, the anal region and.crissum uniform dusky; bill greenish 

 black, scarcely swollen at the base, where the black spot of the male is slightly, 

 if at all, indicated; iris yellowish white; feet yellowish orange, webs grayish 

 dusky, claws black. Young: Similar to the adult female, but head with two 

 quite distinct whitish patches, one against the lateral base of the bill, the other 

 over the auriculars, behind and below the eye; plumage above, more uniform 

 than in the adult female, and feathers everywhere of a softer texture. 



"There is considerable variation among individuals of this species, but we 

 find no constant difference between specimens from the Atlantic coast and 

 those from the Pacific." 



stretch of 

 Length, wing. IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 19.50 33.50 9.25 3.40 l.«3 1.50 



Female... 17.75 31.00 8.50 3.20 1.60 J. 50 



This species of the Sea Duck is abundant upon both coasts, 

 and during the breeding season quite common upon the large 

 northern inland waters; breeding from Sitka, Alaska, and the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, north into the Arctic regions. 



Their food consists largely of shellfish (the bivalve a favor- 

 ite, the shells of which seem to digest as easily as the mussels 

 within them); fishes and various forms of life also help to make 

 up the bill of fare. Their flesh is coarse and in flavor rather 

 rank. 



The birds are at home as well in the surging surf as upon the 

 smooth waters, resting and sleeping at night out upon the open 

 w^aters; they rise from the same in a running, laborious manner, 

 but when fairly on the wing fly rapidly, and in stormy weather 

 hag closely to the water. While feeding are very active, con- 

 stantly and rapidly diving one after the other — a continual dis- 

 appearing and popping up. 



From the following it appears that the birds nest upon both 

 marshy and dry grounds, and in the latter case with no ma- 

 terial except down. Audobon describes a nest found near 

 Little Macatina, Gulf of St. Lawrence, well out upon a marsh, 

 as snugly placed amid the tall leaves of a bunch of grass, and 

 raised fully four inches above the roots. It was composed of 

 withered and rotten weeds, the former being circularly arranged 

 over the latter, producing a well rounded cavity six inches in 



