LIFE HISTORIES OF Is(JRTH AMERICATs' WILD FOWL. 63 



the lee of ledges in little coves or in the bays. Often times they rest 

 and sleep in large numbers on drifting ice, on sand bars or even on 

 unfrequented beaches. In very stormy weather they are often driven 

 into the bays and harbors in enormous numbers. During that memo- 

 rable storm of November 27, 1898, I was out duck shooting all the 

 morning at Plymouth, Massachusetts; the gale was so fierce that we 

 could hardly walk against it and the driving snow and sleet was almost 

 blinding; black ducks were driven inland in large numbers, the little 

 pond holes in the woods were full of them and they could hardly fly 

 against the storm; they even sought shelter in the orchards among 

 the houses, and large numbers were killed. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding rangfg.— Northeastern North America. East to the Atlan- 

 tic coast, from New Jersey northward. South to eastern North Caro- 

 lina (Pamlico and Currituck Sounds), northern Ohio (Lake County), 

 northern Indiana (Lake County), northern Illinois (Calumet marshes), 

 and northwestern Iowa (Spirit Lake). West to central Minnesota 

 (Kandiyohi County), eastern Manitoba (Lake Manitoba), and the west 

 coast of Hudson Bay (Churchill) . Seen in summer at Fort Anderson. 

 North perhaps to the latter point, to Ungava Bay, and northern Lab- 

 rador (Okak). Northern breeding birds are supposed to be the red- 

 legged subspecies. 



Winter range. — Eastern United States, mainly coastwise. South to 

 central Florida (Gainesville), the Gulf coasts of Alabama and Loui- 

 siana, and to south central Texas (San Antonio and Corpus Christi). 

 West to eastern Nebraska (Lincoln), but rare west of the Mississippi 

 Valley. N orth to southern Wisconsin (Delavan) , northern Ohio (coast 

 of Lake Erie), northwestern Pennsylvania (Erie), sometimes the lake 

 regions of central New York, on the coast of New England, and as far 

 east as Nova Scotia (Chignecto Bay) . Casual farther west or north of 

 above-named points and comparatively rare v/est of the Alleghenies. 



Syring migration. — Early dates of arrival: Maine, southern, March 

 19; Quebec, Montreal, March 27; Quebec, Quebec, April 6; Prince 

 Edward Island, April 5: Ontario, southern, March 16; Ontario, 

 Ottawa, March 21, Average dates of arrival: Maine, southern, 

 April 7; Quebec, Montreal, April 14; Quebec, Quebec, April 18; 

 Quebec, (Jodbout, April 21 ; Prince Edward Island, April 23; Ontario, 

 southern, April 7; Ontario, Ottawa, April 14. Late dates of depar- 

 ture: North Carolina, Raleigh, April 11; Florida, Wakulla County, 

 May 2. 



Fall migration. — Average dates of arrival: Virginia, Alexandria, 

 September 30; South Carolina, Mount Pleasant, October 22 (earliest) ; 

 Florida, Wakulla County, November 16. Average dates of depar- 



