SEA DUCKS 99 



Geog. Dist. — North America, breeding from North Dakota and Manitoba 

 northward ; wintering from Virginia south to Guatemala and the West Indies. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; one at Sabattus Pond, Oct. 25, 1896, 

 (Farrar). Cumberland ; rare, (Brock) ; chiefly in April and October, (Brown, 

 C. P. B. p. 32). Hancock ; associated with the preceding, very rare, (Knight) 

 Knox; rare in winter, (Rackliff). Washington; not common, (Boardman)" 



This species occurs along the coast associated with its near 

 relative, the Scaup Duck, at similar seasons. It is not so com- 

 mon or generally distributed or else it has been overlooked 

 along the Maine coast. Six to ten eggs are laid in a nest on the 

 ground among the grass or rushes not far from some body of 

 fresh water in its northern breeding grounds. Nine eggs found 

 near a lake in Benson County, North Dakota, June 10, 1897, 

 were pale olive buff in color and measure 2.21 x 1.53, 2.24 x 

 1.51, 2.22 x 1.54, 2.23 x 1.52, 2.12 x 1.54, 2.22 x 1.57, 2.17 

 X 1.52, 2.20 X 1.55, 2.20 x 1.53. The nest was composed of 

 dried leaves, weed stalks and grass, warmly lined with down 

 and was in a slight depression in the ground eight feet from 

 the edge of the water. The female was flushed from beneath 

 the horse's feet, according to my collector. 



''150. Ay thya coUaris {Donov.^. Ring-necked Duck. 



Plumage of adult male : chin white ; head with bluish reflections, other 

 wise with neck, breast, back, scapulars, and tail coverts black ; a rather dimly 

 defined chestnut collar on throat; speculum bluish gray; belly white, barred 

 below with vermicular black; band across end of bill. Plumage of adult 

 female and immature birds: speculum gray; top of head and back of neck 

 dark brown ; chest, sides and flanks fulvous brown ; other upper parts dark 

 brown ; white or whitish at sides of head and neck ; breast and belly white 

 or lower down grayish brown ; bill with band across end. Wing 7.25 to 8.00 ; 

 culmen 1.85 ; tarsus 1.38. 



Geog. Dist. — North America, breeding from Washington County, Maine, 

 (rarely), and in the interior from Iowa northward; wintering from Virginia 

 to Guatemala and the West Indies. 



County Records : Cumberland ; rare, has occurred between March 31 and 

 May 1, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 32). Hancock; I have taken one specimen, (Dorr) 

 Sagadahoc ; F. T. Noble took a male in Merrymeeting Bay, October 11, 1905, 

 (Noble, J. M. 0. S. 1905, p. 32). Washington ; not common, breeds, (Board- 

 man). 



