Surf Scoter {Oidemia perspicillata) 

 Range: Breeds on the Pacific coast from Kotzebne Sound to Sitka, and 

 from northwestern Mackenzie and Hudson Strait to Great Slave Lake, cen- 

 tral Keewatin, and northern Quebec; winters on the Pacific coast from Aleu- 

 tian Islands south to San Ouintin Bay, Lower California, and on the Great 

 Lakes. 



The surf duck is possibly the most abundant of the three species of 

 scoter ducks, and in fall and winter it visits the northern parts of the United 

 States on both coasts in great numbers. Tt appears off the coast of Massa- 

 chusetts early in September. Some idea of the vast numbers of these birds 

 may be gained from the observations of Nelson who, late in the breeding sea- 

 son of 1878, saw near Stewart Island, Alaska, a continuous raft of them about 

 ten miles long and from a half to three-fourths of a mile in width. All these 

 appeared to be males and therefore represented only half of the birds of this 

 species breeding in the locality. The surf scoter is a powerful swimmer and a 

 superb diver and is almost as much at home in the surf as a fish. It lives on 

 various kinds of shellfish, chiefly mussels. Naturally, having no means of 

 breaking open the bivalves, it has to swallow them whole, and such are the 

 bird's powers of digestion that it has no difficulty in disposing of the thick- 

 shells. 



Sanderling (Calidris leucopkaca) 

 Range: Breeds from Melville Island, Ellesmere Land, and northern 

 Greenland to Point Barrow, Alaska, northern Mackenzie, Iceland, and in 

 northern Siberia; winters from central California, Texas, A^irginia, and Ber- 

 muda to Patagonia. 



The sanderling breeds on the far-away Arctic coast, and in early fall be- 

 gins its wanderings southward. These take it much over the known world. 

 Even the Hawaiian Islands, in mid-ocean, more than 2,000 miles distant from 

 the bird's nearest breeding grounds, are not too remote to attract it, though 

 it is never numerous there. The sanderling is well named "beach bird," for 

 sandy beaches are its favorite places of resort. No prettier sight can be imag- 

 ined than a flock of these little white birds when l)usily engaged hunting for 

 food. As the foam-topped breakers rush up the l)each, and retreat to gather 

 force for another dash, they plough up the sand, and expose for a few brief 

 seconds multitudes of sand fleas and minute shell fish. These jre the chosen 

 food of the sanderlings, and to gather their harvest they keep pace with the 

 progress of the waves, now advancing, now retreating, ever ready to snatch 

 any hapless creature less nimble than they. Sanderlings fly in small com- 

 panies, and often a few individuals mingle with flocks of larger species. Though 

 naturally so tame and unsuspicious as hardly to recognize the ]")resence of 

 man, they associate in such small numbers that they are not greatly exposed. 



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