126 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



then easily told by their stronger smell. The dates for this flight are as fol- 

 lows : November 4th to 17th, 1900; November 3d to 15th, 1901 ; November 



5th to 15th, 1902 ; November 7th to 21st, 1903 ; October 31st to , 1904. 



Red-legs have been taken in the pond well along in December, but these were 

 probably local birds." 



The methods pursued in the shooting of Black Ducks have already been 

 described (page 41). 



A flock of Black Ducks on the water can be distinguished from American 

 Scoters by the fact that the birds do not dive, while the latter rarely refrain from 

 that act for many minutes. The larger body and especially the longer neck and 

 longer and more delicate head and bill of the Black Duck, are also distinctive. 

 In flight, the nearly white lining of the wing of the Black Duck is very charac- 

 teristic, and can be made out at great distances. The red legs and yellow bill 

 as well as the larger size of rubripes distinguish it even at some distance from 

 obscura with its dusky olive bill and brownish legs, but one must have a good 

 light to make out these points. The streaked throat of rubripes and the immac- 

 ulate buffy throat of obscura are points of great service in the dry skins where 

 the original colors of bills and legs are lost. 



45 [ J 33 a ] Anas obscura rubripes Brewst. 

 Red-legged Black Duck; "Winter Black Duck." 



Abundant transient and winter visitor ; September 22 to May 1. 



It is the general belief among gunners that the Red-legged Black Duck is 

 seen only in the winter, coming here after the early flight some time in October. 

 As to which form is the more abundant in winter there appears to be a consid- 

 erable difference of opinion. Mr. T. C. Wilson, the Ipswich gunner, told me 

 that he always considered the larger red-legged bird the male, the smaller one 

 the female, and thinks they are in about equal proportions during the winter. 

 Other gunners, however, have assured me that the smaller bird is the more 

 abundant of the two, while still others consider the red-legged one the more 

 abundant. 



The fact that more of one or other of the subspecies are shot does not 

 necessarily mean that that one is the more common at that particular season. 

 It may mean simply that that subspecies was the more common at the station 

 where the shooting was done, or that it was less wary and came in better to the 

 decoys. This may explain the difference of opinion found among gunners, 



