136 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



They are veiy coniinou in Xew Jersey iu bays and rivers, 

 especially where the water is brackish. They remain 

 here from the first of November to the first of April and 

 are less common in midwinter when the bays and rivers 

 are frozen over. Their cry resembles the word scaup; 

 hence their common name. They feed on moUusks and 

 seeds and their flesh is considered very palatable. 



Sranp^ lj('sset\ Ltittle Hlarkheatl^ Liittle tiluchill^ 

 or Creek BroadbUl. — This duck is very similar to the 

 foregoing but about two inches smaller. It has purplish 

 instead of greenish reflections about the head and the 

 sides are strongly marked with black waves. 



Scissors-hiU. See Black Skimmer. 



Scoter^ ^inierieatt^ or Slack Coot. — Length, nine 

 teen inches; extent, thirty-one inches; bill, one and 

 fourth-fifths inches. The entire plumage is black, on the 

 neck and back frequently more or less glossy. The 

 bill is orange at the base. The female is brown, 

 lighter on head and neck. Its nest is found on 

 the ground, near water. The eggs are from six to ten in 

 number, of a pale yellow, two and one-half by one and 

 three-fourths inches in size. It breeds in the far north and 

 in the winter travels south as far as New^ Jersey, being 

 common in winter otf the coast and seldom found in rivers. 

 Its food is composed of mussels, clams and scollops and 

 its flesh is tough and inedible. 



Scoter^ Surf^ or Sea Coot. — Similar to the foregoing, 

 one inch longer, and with a square white mark on the 

 crown and a triangular w^iite mark on the back of the 

 neck. The female has the u])per parts dark brown, the 

 throat, the breast, sides and lower belly gray and the 

 upper belly white They uest in tall g^rass near water. 

 The eggs are from five to eight iu number, of a pale yel- 

 low, and two and one-half by one and three-fourths 



