THE SURF SCOTER. 815 



base of bill, culnien dark retl shading into orange; under mandible orange and 

 white ; irides white ; feet orange-red. blackish on joints and webs. Adult female: 

 Plumage sooty brown, changing on underparts thru grayish brown to silvery gray ; 

 no sign of white patches of male, but two dull whitish areas on side of head, one 

 buccal and one auricular (sometimes indistinct or even wanting); bill blackish, 

 scarcely swollen at base ; frontal feathering not so extended as in male ; feet black- 

 ish tinged with orange-red. Iiiiinafiirc male: Like adult female, but patches on 

 side of head more definitely white. Length of adult; 18.00-21.00 (457.2-533.4) ; 

 wing 9.00-10.00 ( 228.6-254) ; bill along gape 2.25-2.50 ( ^~.2-62,-S ) : female averag- 

 ing the smaller of these dimensions. 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; white patches on forehead and nape of 

 male; whitish patches on sides of head of female and young male distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest and Eggs much as in preceding species. Av. size, of eggs 

 2.47 X 1.70 (62.7x43.2). 



General Range. — North America at large chieflv coastwise, but also on larger 

 waters of the interior, breeding from northern British Columbia and Labrador to 

 Arctic Coast; south in winter to Lower California and Florida; casual in Europe. 



Range in Washington. — Common winter resident and migrant on Puget 

 Sound and West Coast ; rarely seen on fresh water. 



Authorities. — Pelionetta perspicillata. Kauip, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. 

 L\. 185S. p. 806. T. C&S. L'. Rh. Kb. Kk. P,. E. 



Specimens. — Prov. C. BX. E. 



THE prow of any one of iwn hundred steamers atlords an ideal oj)- 

 portunity for tlie study of winter bird life on Puget Sound waters. Wanton 

 shooting from such stations has been discontimied, so that knowing birds 

 postpone flight till the last moment at the approach of a steamboat. Xo 

 birds are more frequenth- encountered than the Scoters. Surf and White- 

 winged ; and it is a source of never-ending enjoyment to obser\e their beha\'ior 

 on such occasions. 



At first it is presumed that the boat \\ill pass at a cimsiderable distance. 

 In default of this issue the birds decide to otitswim it, and bend low to 

 their task. But the monster approaches. The Coots stop rowing and wag 

 their heads inquiring!}- frijm side to side. It certainly is ccmiing. W'hat- 

 ever shall we dn? Finallv, one bird pulls himself together and begins to 

 pound the water with his wings and feet. The rest follow stiit with much 

 grumbling and wheezing, and soon they are really off, pattering and scooting 

 over the water. But Flagstaft"s wind gives out ( and he is the handsomest of 

 the company). He is too fat to fly, and he gives up after a few strokes, 

 falling back panting into the water. There is always one resort left an honest 

 sea-fowl. You quench your curiosit}" in his gaudy head-gear, bending low 

 over the railing, and as the steamer is almost upon him, the bird dives, 

 swiftly, surely, confidentlv, quite out of harm's wa}', and does not reappear 

 short of a hundred yards. 



