THE LESSER SCAUP. 797 



the oceans oi Mars, where water is ncjw declared tu he at a premium. As with 

 our acres and forests and fishes, so with our birds: there is a handwriting on 

 our wall, and its interpretation is, "Cultivate, propagate, and preserve, if you 

 would enjoy." 



No bird is cjuicker to a\-ail itself of protection than the Bhiebill. Wher- 

 ever the laws forbid shooting from the wharves or upon the waterways, there 

 Scaups make themselves at home ; and in those few places where thev are not 

 even frightened, as by idle stone-throwers, they become almost as tame as 

 domestic ducks. They are already common in winter in most of the larger 

 harbors on Puget Sound and, since they are fond of fresh water as well as salt, 

 we may expect them to appear in considerable numbers upon the new bu'd 

 reser\-e of Lake \\'ashington. This bird reserve, by the way. will prove one of 

 the proudest monuments of an excepticinally intelligent Legislature, that of 

 1909, and of the unselfish zeal of Miss Jennie \'. Getty, of Kirkland. Such a 

 prudent enactment as that which authorized this experiment in bird ( and 

 human) protection, gives us comfortable assurance that the handwriting on 

 the wall will be heeded in Washington. 



No. 319. 



LESSER SCAUP. 



A. O. U. No. 149. Manila affinis (Eyt. ). 



Synonyms. — Lesskr Sc.\up. Little 1>lackhe.\d. Bli'Ebill, etc. f sharing 

 names ajiplied to preceding form). 



Description. — Adult male: Similar to preceding but smaller; the head not 

 glossed with green, — violet or purplish instead. .-Idiilt female: Distinguishable 

 from that of A. inarila only by smaller size. Length 15.00-17.00 (381-431. 8): 

 wing 8.00 (203.2) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill 1.65 (41.9) ; tarsus 1.40 (35.6). 



Recognition Marks. — See preceding species; smaller. 



Nesting. — Xest and Eggs like those of preceding species. Av. size of eggs, 

 2.25 X 1.58 (57.2x40.1). 



General Range. — Xorth America in general, breeding chieflv north of the 

 Laiited States, migrating south to Guatemala and the West Indies. 



Range in Washington. — Not common spring and fall migrant, but found 

 on both sides of the Cascades. A few linger thru the summer east of the moun- 

 tains, but it is not certain that they breed. 



Authorities.— ["Little blackhead." Johnson. Rep. Gov, W. T. 1884 (1885), 

 23.] A\'th\a affinis. Lawrence, .Auk, Vol. IX. Jan. 1892, p. 42. L'. Rh. D'. Kk. 

 B. E(H)." 



Specimens. — Prov. B. BN. 



