ig2o I Brooks, Notes on American Ducks. dbo 



Quite often a female will turn her head around, tuck her bill 

 away in the back feathers and calmly go to sleep, oblivious of 

 the display of the drake who seemingly does not care whether 

 his spouse looks at him or not. 



Once in November I watched a lone drake going through the 

 whole performance by himself — water-kick and all. When asleep 

 the tail is held up at a good angle, though not such a conspicuous 

 cant as is affected by Ruddy Ducks and Scoters when resting. 



Harrow's Golden-eye is a common breeder throughout the arid 

 interior of British Columbia, from the southern boundary north 

 at least to lat. 54 , and from 1000 ft. altitude up to at least (5000 

 ft., wherever the mountain lakes are sufficiently clear of ice to 

 allow them to rear a brood. I have only twice seen the common 

 Golden-eye breeding in this region. 



All the drakes, including those of the preceding year (which 

 do not acquire the full plumage until their second autumn), leave 

 for the coast before the middle of June, and before the young are 

 hatched. 



The bulk of the females and young follow them about the 

 middle of September as in the case of the Harlequin Duck. 



I have so far been unable to actually verify that they do so 

 to the salt water, but hope to during the coming summer. 



A few birds may be seen throughout the fall and winter, includ- 

 ing adult males. I am inclined to believe these are not the birds 

 that have bred here, but rather migrants from the northeastern 

 districts. 



I have found Barrow's Golden-eye fairly common at the coast 

 in the winter, and much tamer than the common Golden-eye. 



Oidemia americana. American Scoter. 



In British Columbia this Scoter is an exclusively maritime 

 duck, at least I have not come across a single reliable inland 

 record. Not only is it a maritime bird, but it is seldom found 

 in the small bays and inlets where the other species swarm, but 

 frequents the exposed shores and outer reefs together with the 

 Harlequin. It has many points in common with that duck, 

 rising easily from the water and doing much flying about in 

 small lots of four or five — mostly males — seemingly for the pleas- 

 ure of flying, usually returning to the point they started from. 



