132 GAME BIRDS. WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



west. Eaton says that it inhabits the open waters of every 

 portion of New York State throughout the winter. Samuels 

 (1870) says that it is often seen in the lakes and ponds of the 

 interior of New England when they are open in winter. The 

 average date of its appearance at Wood's Hole, Mass., is 

 November 15, as given by Professor Cooke. It returns north- 

 ward early, arriving in Canada in February, March or April, 

 according to the season. Nuttall (1834) states that the 

 natives of Lapland make nesting places for this bird by 

 attaching hollowed pieces of wood to the stunted pine trees 

 in which it ordinarily breeds. He says also that in its native 

 haunts it is by no means shy; but this statement no longer 

 applies to the Whistler of New England. 



The Whistler is a remarkably active bird, dives like a 

 flash and rarely comes well to decoys. It has learned to 

 be extremely wary and cautious, but in stormy weather it 

 often keeps close to shore, which gives the shore gunner his 

 chance. It does not always dive for its food, but sometimes 

 dabbles in the mud along the shore with Bluebills or other 

 Ducks. Offshore it feeds largely on mussels, which it dis- 

 lodges and brings up from the bottom. Audubon found it 

 feeding on crayfish on the Ohio River. W^ayne says that in 

 South Carolina a small mussel of salt or brackish water is 

 its favorite food. Knight has observed it feeding on these 

 and also some vegetable substance. He states that it eats 

 small fish and fry also, and along the coast it feeds on mussels 

 and other mollusks; but Elliot believes that in the interior 

 the Whistler feeds on vegetable matter, such as grasses and 

 roots. When feeding there and when it first comes to the 

 salt water in autumn the young are fairly tender and well 

 flavored, being about on a par with the Bluebill as a table 

 delicacy. Some of the residents of Cape Cod consider it 

 superior to the Scoters. Nuttall says that it eats fresh-water 

 vegetation, such as the roots of Eqvisetums and the seeds of 

 some species of Polygonums. 



