WATER BIRDS. 103 



abundant some years while only a few were seen during other winters. 

 Several observers mention the fact that it is often caught in the gill nets 

 set in deep water for lake trout and whitefish. One fisherman at St. 

 Joseph told me most positively that he had seen it caught repeatedly in 

 nets set at a depth of 30 fathoms (180 feet). Butler (Birds of Indiana, 

 1897, p. 625) says "The depth to which they dive may be known by the 

 fact that they are often caught in that vicinity (ofif Michigan City) in 

 abundance in gill nets in 20 or 30 fathoms of water. 



They usually pass north in February or early March, and the latest 

 record I have is one given by Mr. Stewart E. White, Grand Rapids, Mich- 

 igan, where he observed three April 3, 1891. They are taken occasionally 

 on the Grand River near Lansing, as well as on the smaller lakes in that 

 vicinity. We also have records from Greenville (Jan. 31, 1899), Grand 

 Rapids, Kalamazoo and several other inland points; and it is reported from 

 nearly every point along the shores of the Great Lakes. It is late in coming 

 from the north, although it often appears toward the end of October. W. 

 P. Melville states that in the winter of 1897-98 large numbers starved to 

 death at Sault Ste. Marie, owing to the fact that the open water was frozen 

 by the intense cold. Ordinarily the species spends the winter in the rapids 

 of the St. Mary's River at that place. This is one of the species recorded 

 as killed on Spectacle Reef Lighthouse in Lake Huron, February 25, 1885. 



It nests in the Arctic regions, abundantly on the shores and islands of 

 Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, and even as far south as Labrador. The nests 

 are of grass and weeds, and lined with down, and the eggs vary from dull 

 pea-green to light olive-buff, and average 2.05 by 1.49 inches. 



Although a handsome species the Old-squaw is not a favorite with 

 gunners, mainly because its flesh is tough and usually ill-flavored, but also 

 because it is a difficult bird to hit while flying (on account of its great speed) 

 and even more difficult to shoot while swimming, since it dives at the flash 

 of the gun and swims long distances under water. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult male in winter: Entire top of head and back of neck, chin, throat, upper chest 

 and back all round, pure white; sides of head smoky-gray, sides of neck black above brown 

 below; lower chest and upper breast clear black; lower breast, belly, imder tail-coverts 

 and outer tail feathers pure white; sides and flanks pearl-gray; back, rump, upper tail- 

 coverts and four middle tail feathers black or brownish-black; scapulars bluish-white; 

 wing mainly black, part of the secondaries brown. Bill black, crossed by an orange 

 band; legs and feet black, iris yellow. 



Adult female in winter: Similar, but head, neck and entire under parts mainly white, 

 the chest only grayish, and top of head dusky; upper parts dark brown, the scapulars 

 bordered with lighter and gray-tipped. 



Length of male 20.75 to 23 inches; wing 8.50 to 9; middle tail-feathers 8 to 8.50; culmen 

 1.10. Length of female 15 to 16 inches, the middle tail-feathers not lengthened. 



52. Eider Duck. Somateria dresseri Sharpc. (160) 



Synonyms: American Eider, Common Eider, Big Sea Duck, Shoal Duck. — Anas 

 moUissima, Wils. — Fuligula mollissima, Nutt., Aud. — Somateria moUissima, Bonap., 

 Baird, Coues. 



Separable from everything except the King Eider by its large size and 

 the peculiarities of the bill and head. 



Distribution. — Atlantic coast of North America, from Maine to Labrador; 

 south in winter to Delaware and west to the Great Lakes. 



