BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 161 



Season. — Abundant migrant coastwise; September to June; a few summer; 

 rare or absent in interior where formerly more common in migrations. 



Range. — North America and eastern Asia. Breeds from the coast of north- 

 eastern Siberia, northern Alaska, northern Mackenzie and northern 

 Ungava south to central British Columbia, Alberta, northern North 

 Dakota and southern Quebec; winters on the Asiatic coast to Bering 

 Island, Japan and China, and in North America from Unalaska Island 

 to San Quintiu Bay, Lower California, the Great Lakes (casually to 

 Colorado, Nebraska and Louisiana), and the Atlantic coast from the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence south (rareh^ to Florida; non-breeding birds 

 occur in summer as far south as Rhode Island and Monterey, Cal. 



History. 

 The White-wing is one of the species which was once found 

 in enormous numbers in most of our harbors and bays and all 

 along our coasts, and as it was more of a fresh-water bird 

 than the other Scoters it was more common in inland ponds 

 and rivers. Mr. Israel R. Sheldon of Pawtuxet, R. I., says 

 that hundreds of White-winged Scoters are shot from power 

 boats and are put to no use. Ordinarily great numbers spend 

 the fall, winter and spring about Cape Cod, or in the sounds 

 and on the shallows to the southward, and in Connecticut, 

 Rhode Island and New York waters. Many of these birds in 

 fall come down the coast from the eastward, while others 

 apparently reach Long Island Sound from the far northwest, 

 and from there pass eastward to the vicinity of Cape Cod. 

 Vineyard and Nantucket sounds are favorite feeding grounds. 

 In April large flights of this species pass to the eastward along 

 the coast on the way to their breeding grounds in Labrador 

 and on the shores of the Arctic Sea. Later, usually about the 

 middle of May, flocks may be seen toward night moving in a 

 westerly direction. They appear, from the lateness of their 

 migration, to be birds that breed in the far north or north- 

 west, possibly in the ponds of the Barren Grounds in the 

 arctic tundra or on the islands of the Arctic Sea. They are 

 large, heavy, fully adult birds, and are called May White- 

 wings by the gunners of Westport and Dartmouth. They are 

 then mated and on the way to their breeding grounds. When 

 migrating overland they start late in the day or at night, 

 flying very high and due northwest, and probably do not 



