LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 137 



pass between narrows. Small flocks can be seen on the water, the males pur- 

 suing the females; then they will make a short flight and alighting again 

 resume the sport with much splashing on the water. At this time they make 

 a sound like tinkling ice, but whether this is made with their wings or voice 

 I do not know. When flying during courtship their wings whistle like a 

 goldeueye's, but much louder. They also utter a short croak while flying. 

 Though hundreds of them breed here, I have never found a nest, but have 

 heard of several being found, usually at quite a distance back from the large 

 lakes and near smaller ones. It is said that Lac LaNouue takes it name from 

 these ducks owing to the resemblance of their black and white coloring to 

 tlie garb of the nuns. 



J. M. Edson has sent me the following interesting notes : 



This species is found at all seasons in the Puget Sound region, being par- 

 ticularly abundant during winter. Like 0. perspicillata, this species has a 

 iiabit of leaving the water and taking a daily flight off over the land, during 

 the summer season. These flights are particularly noticeable in pleasant 

 weather and In late afternoon. The birds rise in considerable flocks to an 

 elevation of 200 or 300 feet, stringing out in line, or in converging lines, some- 

 times forming a V. The whistling of their wings can be heard for some 

 distance. Often this sound is punctuated by the slapping together of inter- 

 fering wings. They sometimes fly considerable distances inland before return- 

 ing to the water. So far as known they do not nest in this region, although 

 birds in the full adult plumage are frequently seen throughout the summer. 



An instance of peculiar behavior of birds of this species came under my 

 notice not long ago. Watching the sea birds from a bluff overlooking Belling- 

 ham Bay, on a calm evening in December (the 24th), my attention was at- 

 tracted by unusual activitj' in a little group of white-winged scoters. They 

 were about 50 yards from the beach. Ten of these birds were bunched to- 

 gether and actively swimming and plunging about within a circle of perhaps 

 10 or 12 feet in diameter. I was unable to distinguish the sexes with certainty, 

 and have no knowledge to the effect that December is their courtship season. 

 It looked like a game of tag of some sort. At the center of the group two birds 

 would assume a pose as if billing and caressing each other, one with its head 

 elevated, the other's depressed, the bills coming in contact. The pose would 

 last only two or three seconds, till some other bird would approach one of 

 them from behind, when the latter would suddenly turn upon it and chase 

 it away, the pursued bird taking a circular course around the flock. Some- 

 times both the posing birds would be simultaneously approached, and each 

 would turn upon his assailant. The other birds would hover close about, 

 watching for a chance to tag the posers from behind. The two main actors 

 would again come to the center and resume their pose, only to be promptly 

 interrupted again with the same result. So far as I could observe, the same 

 pair took the central part all the time. I watched them for perhaps half an 

 hour, and the game was still in progress when I left. On February 11 I saw 

 the same performance enacted at a greater distance from shore. There were 

 about the same number of birds in the group and the play was as before. 

 Although there were numerous other birds of the same species scattered about 

 in the near vicinity, these paid no attention to the game. 



Like the other scoters, this species is a strong swimmer and an 

 expert diver. It dives to considerable depths for its food when 

 necessary, though it prefers to feed at low tide when the mussel beds 



