BIRDS. 



127 



From Handbook of Wustcrn Bir.ls. I.. A. Fuertes. 



Fig. 34. — White-wingod scoter. 



White-winged Scoter: Oidcmla deglandi deglandi. — One of these 

 large black sea ducks was seen by Mr. Stevenson in the fall of 190G, 

 after a big storm, and in September, 1910, he shot three on a 

 small pond near the east line of the 

 park. 



Ruddy Duck : Erismatura januv- 

 cens'is. — The droll little ruddy duck, 

 with his bright blue bill, ruddj^ body, 

 and spiked tail, has been found b}' 

 INIr. Bryant in the nesting season on 

 the North Fork of the Flathead, 

 Avhere there are a number of small 

 ponds and sloughs that offer congenial nesting sites; but no actual 

 rests have been located. During the spring migration Mr. Steven- 

 son has found the ruddies rather common on Sherburne Lake, and 

 in October, 1887, Dr. Grinnell found them veiy abundant on all the 

 lakes of the St. ^lary region. 



On April 21, 1918, Mr. Bailey found them among the more nu- 

 merous ducks on Lake McDonald, " often giving a ruddy glow to 



the gieat mixed flocks along the 

 shores, on the beaches, or out in the 

 middle of the lake. Many hundreds 

 or a few thousands would give a 

 fair statement of their numbers on 

 the lake." 



Snow Goose: Chen liypei^'borea 

 hyperhorea. — Hordes of white geese 

 are reported b}^ Mr. Stevenson as 

 passing over the park in the migrations, especially in fall; but in 

 1887, among the thousands of geese seen in October. Dr. Grinnell 

 identified only three as hyperhorea. They came October 25. and 

 kept mostly by themselves, feeding with the ducks in the shallows 

 where the inlet enters the lake. 



Ross Goose: Chen rossi. — The first Ross goose reported by Dr. 

 Grinnell in the St. Mary Lakes region was on October 1, 1887. He 

 at first took the flocks for snow geese but one shot by an Indian 

 proved to be the Ross goose, which is smaller than the snow goose 

 and whose bill is without black on the cutting edges. For a month, 

 he says, migrating flocks of from twenty to a hundred were con- 

 stantly passing over the lakes and crossing the mountains on their 

 way south. 



Canada Goose: Branta canadensis canadensis. — Several pairs of 

 the great gray Canada geese, with the black head and white throat 



Fig. 35. — Ruddj- duck. 



