64 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 



Distribution. — North America, breeding from Sitka and the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence north to the arctic regions ; south in winter to Florida, 

 Colorado, and Lower California. 



Nest. — In a bunch of marsh grass, on ground in tall grass, or under 

 low branches of scrubby trees ; made of plant stems and lined with down. 

 Eggs : 5 to 8, cream color. 



The surf scoters are abundant on both coasts, and during the 

 breeding season quite common on the large northern inland waters. 



Colonel Goss in describing their habits says that they are " at 

 home as well in the surging surf as upon the smooth waters, resting 

 and sleeping at night out on the open waters. . . . They rise in a 

 running, laborious manner, but when fairly on the wing fly rapidly, 

 and in stormy weather hug closely to the water." The ducks are 

 very active when feeding, diving so constantly and rapidly one after 

 another that they are continually disappearing and popping up. 

 The bivalve is a favorite food with them. Colonel Goss says, its 

 shell apparently digesting with as much ease as its contents. As 

 they also eat fish, their flesh is coarse and rather rank. 



GENUS ERISMATURA. 



167. Erismatura jamaicensis (GmeL). Ruddy Duck. 



Bill short and widest near end, bright blue in adult male. Adult male : 



top and back of head black ; neck 

 and rest of upper parts chestnut ; 

 cheeks and chin white ; belly 

 gray, waslied with silvery white, 

 or sometimes rusty. Female and 

 immature: upper parts plain 

 grayish brown ; sides of head 

 whitish, with a dusky streak 

 from corner of mouth to back of 

 Fig. 80. ^^ ear ; under parts gray, washed 



with silverv white or rusty. 

 Length : 13.50-16.00, wing 5.75-6.00, bill 1.50-1.60. 



Distribution. — North America and south to Colombia, breeding over 

 much of its North Anaerican range. 



I^est. — A bulky mass of plant stems on the Avater among tules, reeds, 

 or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light buffy. 



The ruddy duck is common over much of the western United 

 States, and breeds abundantly in places that suit its taste, especially 

 in the grass-fringed lakes of the northern plains and the big shallow 

 tule lakes of the Great Basin country. It is a duck of much indi- 

 viduality. It sits jauntily on the water, its spike tail tilted up, and 

 with bold audacity holds its ground till you are at close quarters, 

 then as you think it is going to fly, and raise your gun for a wing 

 shot, it suddenly dives. Its skill at hiding under water till it has 

 gained the other side of a point or island would do credit to a grebe, 



