80 THE BIKDS OF MAINE 



County Records. — Androscoggin; fairly common migrant, (Johnson). 

 Cumberland; rare in northern county, (Mead); transient, occurs between 

 March 31 and April 17, and in autumn up to the very last of November, 

 (Brown, C. B. P. p. 33). Franklin ; rare migrant, (Richards). Hancock ; fall 

 and spring migrant coastwise, very rare summer resident about the ponds, 

 (Knight). Kennebec; very rare, (Dill). Knox; rare migrant, (Rackliff). 

 Oxford ; breeds at Lake Umbagog, (Maynard, L. B. C. Co. N. H. & O. Co. Me. 

 p. 30). Penobscot; rare migrant and still rarer summer resident about the 

 lakes, (Knight). Piscataquis; common breeds, (Homer). Sagadahoc; very 

 few from fall to spring, (Spinney). Somerset, rare migrant, (Morrell); breeds 

 very rarely in northern county, (Knight). Washington; not rare, breeds, 

 (Boardman). 



There is no evidence that this species winters along the 



coast, but it occurs generally though never commonly along 



the coast in March, April and May and again in September, 



October and November. Inland it breeds very locally and 



rarely about various ponds and lakes, arriving shortly after 



the ice leaves in spring and leaving in October. The eggs are 



laid in a warm nest of down situated in hollow trees and 



stumps, usually not far from the water. The time of nesting 



is late May and young are seen with the parents the last of 



June. Eight to fourteen bufFy white eggs are laid, and a 



selected specimen measures 2.08 x 1.70. In habits they do 



not differ greatly from the other Mergansers. 



Subfamily ANATIN^. River Ducks. 



Key to the species of ANATINiE. 



A. Bill very strongly and decidedly spatulate. Shoveller. 



B. Bill not spatulate. 



1. Tail feathers not pointed at tips but broad and rounded. Wood 



Duck. 



2. Tail feathers always pointed at tips. 



a'. Culmen shorter than middle toe without claws, 

 b'. Tail feathers 16; more than thirty lamellae on bill visible 



externally. Gadwall. 

 b*. Tail feathers 14 ; not more than fifteen lamellae on bill visible 

 externally. Baldpate. 

 a^. Culmen longer than middle toe without claw. 



