116 TuR ^^'lLso^■ F.L'u.ETix— No. HS 



iiig the second week of ]March, imlividuals liu,i;eriiii,' until the tliird 

 week of April. I have one record for May 15, IS'.c.t. The birds 

 return duriny; the middle of October and linger until winter weather 

 begins, which ^^■as December 20, 1902. There have been numerous 

 vi.sitations to the Oberlin Water Works reservoir during the ver- 

 nal migrations, (iroups are more often seen on the open waters of 

 the lake than is the case with the next species, but numbers also 

 feed iu the more open areas of the marshes. 



32. Morila uffiiiis. — Lesser Scaup Duck. 



Every tiling considered tliis is the most abundant of the ducks. 

 It literally swarms in the marshes during late March and the 

 most of April, where feeding companies cover large areas of the 

 open waters of the marshes. On Mondays, close days, they feed 

 and play and court on a certain large open area near the mouth of 

 Black Channel, apparently possessed of a feeling of security. On 

 open days they are flying wildly about, many seelcing refuge on the 

 oi)en lake beyond row-boat range (shooting from power boats is 

 unlawful). INIedian dates of arrival in spring are March 2?>, and 

 the bulk do not return before the last of October. Most of the 

 birds have left by tlie first of May, but I found a flock of upwards 

 of 100 as late as May 22, 1909. A few pairs breed within reach of 

 small bodies of water near Obei'lin, and I have some evidence for 

 believing that a few pairs breed in the vicinity of Cedar Point 

 propel'. There are always some few wounded individuals about 

 the bay and marshes all sununer. but these are not breeding birds. 

 From about the first of May until the third weelv of May it is a 

 common thing to find numbers of this duck washed up on the bay 

 side of tlie sand spit dead or dying. Careful examination of the 

 cadavers in a number of instances has failed to reveal any wound 

 or other physical defect. It is possible that death has been caused 

 by lead poisoning, as reported for similar cases elsewhere. 



Female Scaup Ducks may be readily identified by the area of 

 white at the base of the bill. 



33. Marila collaris. — Ring-necked Duck. 



U'he markings of this duck are not sufficiently distinctive at a 

 distance to make identification certain. On April 9, 1900, and April 

 r. to 12, 1904, one individual visited the Oberlin AVater Works res- 

 ervoir. My other records are May 25, 1903, one at Elyria, ou the 

 Black river, :\Iarch 20, 1904, at Oak Point, March 25, 1907, two at 

 Cedar Point, April 24, 1909, two on a small cemetery pond in Ober-^ 

 liu. I have relied on specimens in hand or at close range for all 

 of these records. It seems probable that the species is more nu- 

 iiH-rous in individuals than tlicsc records would indicate. 



