ANATIN.E — THE DUCKS — (EDEMIA. 



91 



in Hudson's Bay, where it visited the sea-eoast exclusively, and was never found in 

 the interior, feeding chiefly on fish and their spawn. Its flesh was by no means 

 held in esteem, but the eggs were quite palatable. Mr. Murray and Captain 

 Blakiston both cite this species as still being abundant in the region adjacent to 

 Hudson's Bay. 



On the Pacific coast its presence has been noted from Alaska to Southern Cali- 

 fornia, and Mr. Bannister found it com- 

 mon on the Island of St. Michael's ; and 

 he states that, except on one occasion, 

 he has never seen it in any of the small 

 fresh-water ponds of that island. Ordi- 

 narily it kept to the salt-water, even 

 flying round points of land rather than 

 directly across them. 



The name of this Duck in the Eskimo 

 dialect, according to Mr. E. Adams 

 (" Ibis," 1878), is Too-tdr4ik ; and it is 

 spoken of by him as being rather late 

 in its arrival on the shores of Norton 

 Sound, none of this species coming until 

 the 19th of May. Toward the end of the 

 iionth several pairshad taken possession 

 of the larger lakes near St. Michael's, 

 where they remained to breed, seldom 

 going out to sea, but keeping together 

 in small flocks in the middle of the lake. 

 Their nests were carefully secreted in 

 the clefts and hollows about the steep 

 banks of the lakes, close to the water, 

 and were built of coarse grass, well lined 

 with feathers and down. The females 

 had their eggs at the time of his leaving, 

 which was in June. 



Mr. Dall speaks of this as being a salt-water Duck, abundant at the mouth of the 

 Yukon, but not going up that river for any distance. He was so fortunate as to find 

 it breeding near Pastolik, June 17, discovering a nest which contained two eggs. 

 These he describes as being quite white, and large as compared with the size of the 

 bird. The nest was placed on the ground, on a small island, in a clump of willows, 

 and was well supplied with dry grass, feathers, leaves, and moss. Since that Mr. 

 Dall has met with this species on the Aleutian Islands, where he found it not uncom- 

 mon during the winter, but migrating with the other Ducks in the spring. It was 

 noticed both at Unalashka and on the Shumagins, and it was also seen on the coast of 

 Vancouver Island by Mr. It. Browne. Dr. Cooper speaks of finding it less abundant 

 along the entire coast of California than the other Surf Ducks, but associating with 

 them, and with habits almost exactly similar to theirs. 



Mr. Giraud speaks of this Duck as being common in winter on the Atlantic side of 

 Long Island. It is there also one of that class .of Ducks known to fishermen and 

 hunters as " Coots." By some it is called the " Butter-billed Coot " — a name by 

 which it is also generally known to sportsmen in New England. It is also there 

 called the " Hollow-billed Coot" — a designation applied in Xew England exclusively 



