526 Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 



showed pearl-gray mixed with dark on top of head ; he also had a dis- 

 tinct black V-shaped mark on the white throat. The other males had 

 browner heads and fainter black V-shaped throat markings. Of the 

 seven, six are males, and one a female in good typical plumage. I 

 believe that none of this species has been recorded as taken on Lake 

 Erie since 1879, when eighteen were shot at Buffalo, N. Y. (See 

 note by J. A. Allen in Bull. Niitt. Oniith. Club, Vol. V, p. 62.)" 

 Substantially the same account is given by Dr. Warren (^Birds of 

 Feniisylvania, 1890, 46), who adds that "Two hunters, who un- 

 fortunately before they knew we were anxious to preserve the ducks 

 for our collections, had cooked three or four which they had captured, 

 said the dark-colored flesh was tough, stringy, and so rank and unsavory 

 that they could not eat it." There are four of the above birds pre- 

 served in Mr. Sennett's collection, including the one female ; the 

 others evidently went into Dr. Warren's possession. To the above 

 records of the occurrence of this species at Erie the writer is able to 

 add two more, both on the authority of Mr. Bacon. On November 

 13, 1894, five of these birds were shot on the bay, one of which he 

 secured, and which is now deposited in the United States National 

 Museum (Biological Survey Collection). Again, on December 30, 

 1900, another specimen — one of two seen — was shot on the lake 

 east of the city limits, and this also came into Mr. Bacon's hands, and 

 thence to the Carnegie Museum, where it is now mounted in the Penn- 

 sylvania collection. Both specimens were immature males. 



38. Oidemia americana. American Scoter. 



This duck has been observed only as a transient late in the fall, 

 although it probably remains through the winter. It seems to be the 

 least numerous of the genus here, having been certainly detected on 

 but three occasions. One w^as shot at Crystal Point, November 13, 

 1900, and another near the Life-saving Station, November 17, by 

 gunners, the first specimen coming into our hands. Mr. Simpson re- 

 ports one taken at Crystal Point, November 10, 1903, and adds that 

 several ducks seen by him off the outside shore about this time were 

 either this or the Surf Scoter. 



39. Oidemia deglandi. White-winged Scoter. 



Fairly common as a transient visitant in the fall, and of not infre- 

 quent occurrence as a winter resident, but seemingly rare in the spring. 

 In the fall of 1900 it was numerous in the waters of the lake off the 



