136 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Scaup is the European name of this bird but it 

 will hardly be recognized under that title by 

 American gunners. Here it is known as the 

 Broad-bill, Blue-bill, Blue-billed Widgeon, Wid- 

 geon, etc. It seems more inclined to migrate to 

 salt water than does the Lesser Scaup, but this 

 may be because its winter habitat is more north- 

 ern and it is more likely to be driven to the open 

 sea by the freezing of the fresh water. It i;- 

 common in winter in the unfrozen marshes and 

 lakes of central New York, but if these freeze it 

 must go to the sea or starve. Therefore, the 

 species is often more numerous in the late winter 

 and early spring on the coastal waters than it is 

 in the autumn and early winter while the lakes 

 remain open. 



These birds breed mainly in the Northwest in 

 marshes and about numerous small ponds. Those 

 that migrate to the Atlantic coast winter chiefly 

 from Massachusetts to Chesapeake Bay, while 

 farther south their place is taken mainly by the 



Lesser Scaup. They are swift flyers, showing a 

 stripe of wliite on the wing as they pass in a 

 characteristic waving line. The male may be 

 distinguished from the male Lesser Scaup, which 

 he closely resembles, by the color of the head 

 which has a greenish luster in contrast with the 

 purplish cast common on that of the lesser bird. 

 At a distance both appear black; therefore, they 

 are called Black-heads, indiscriminately. The 

 white faces of the females of both species are 

 very conspicuous. 



The Scaup is an excellent diver and when it 

 has been feeding in the interior on the roots of 

 the wild celery (vallisneria) and other water 

 plants, its flesh is fit for the epicure, and even 

 when it feeds on the eel grass and other vegeta- 

 tion on salt marshes and flats it is fairly well 

 flavored, but after it has fed for a time in salt 

 water on crustaceans and mollusks it grows 

 fishy and is not highly prized for the table. 



Edward Howe Forbush. 



LESSER SCAUP DUCK 

 Marila affinis (Evton) 



A. O. U. Number 149 See Color Plate 17 



Other Names. — Black Jack ; River Broad-bill ; 

 Creek Broad-bill; and names of the Scaup Duck with 

 or without qualifying terms. 



Length. — 17 inches. 



Description. — Adult Male ; Varies principally from 

 the Scaup Duck in size ; iridescence of head chiefly 

 pur/'le; flank feathers finely marked with black in a 

 zigzag pattern; otherwise similar. Adult Female: 

 Very similar to the female Scaup Duck but smaller and 

 with breast and sides more inclined to rufous-brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Similar to Scaup, eggs averaging 

 smaller. 



Distribution. — North America at large ; breeds from 

 the northern borders of the United States northward; 

 more rarely to southern Montana, Colorado, northern 

 Iowa, northern Indiana, and western Lake Erie ; 

 winters from southern British Columbia, Nevada, Colo- 

 rado, Lake Erie, and New Jersey south to the Bahamas, 

 Lesser Antilles, and Panama ; rare in migration in New- 

 foundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. 



The species of marine Duck which is probably 

 under more general observation than any other 

 is the Lesser Scaup. These are the Ducks which 

 are seen in great " rafts " or " beds " just off- 

 shore in harbors or bays in winter and early 

 spring nearly all along the Atlantic coast, from 

 Long Island Sound to Florida. They feed, by 

 diving, largely on mollusks or other sluggish 

 marine life. 



A flock settles on the water over some mussel- 

 bed or clam-flat, and the members are soon 

 diving actively. Another passing flock sees 

 and joins it, and so on, until there may be 

 several thousands. These usually stretch out 



into a long column, and keep swimming to wind- 

 ward, after satisfying their htmger, the white- 

 penciled backs of the males glistening bril- 

 liantly in the sunshine. 



In some localities, where they are not perse- 

 cuted, these flocks become quite tame. At Tampa, 

 Florida, they swim up right among the vessels 

 lying at the wharves. The greatest sight is at 

 Palm Beach, Florida, in Lake Worth. There 

 flocks of them swim close up to the boat-land- 

 ings back of the hotels. Guests throw out bread 

 and are wonderfully amused to see wild Ducks 

 fight for food within six to ten feet of their bene- 

 factors. Sometimes thev even take food from 



