224- Mackay ck the Oldsq^iaw. [Qctobej- 



In the spring Oldsquaws appear early in April, that is those 

 which have wintered farther south. There are more or less of 

 them which live on our coast during the entire winter. Thev re- 

 main until the middle of May, a very few sometimes as late as- 

 June 17, which is the latest record I have known. The extraor- 

 dinary difference between their plumage at this season (I have seen 

 this change half completed by April 18) and during the winter 

 has been so often remarked and described that it is unnecessary tO" 

 make particular mention of it here. The females are a little 

 smaller than the njales, and have no long tail feathers. The 

 young males resemble the female in their winter plumage, hav- 

 hig no long tail feathers or elongated scapulars the first year, 

 I do not think they attain their full plumage before the second 

 or third year, and I lean to the longer time, judging from the 

 diversity of immature plumage. 



Oldsquaws have a manner of alighting peculiar to themselves, 

 suddenly dropping into the water from the wing with a splash 

 which enables one to identify them when too distant to be seen 

 distinctly. These Ducks like the American Eider (6". dresser i) 

 avoid passing over shoals or sand spits when the sea is breaking 

 sufficiently to make white w^ater, preferring to pass ai'ound or on 

 one side of them. I have remarked that these Ducks prefer to 

 keep entirely by themselves, rarely mixing with other kinds, the 

 American Eider {^Somateria dresseri) being the only one I have 

 ever known to be with them, and then only an occasional bird, 

 whose abilities were apparently being taxed, when flying, to keep 

 up with its little companions. 



Although, as their Latin name expresses, they are particu- 

 larly a cold weather bird, it is a matter of interest that Ducks 

 with such Arctic proclivities should find the eftects of the cli- 

 mate so rigorous at times on the New England coast that they 

 are unable to sustain life and are in consequence obliged to 

 succumb. Yet such is the case. It was during the winter 

 of iSSS, when, standing on the high land of Nantucket Island 

 and looking seaward in any direction, nothing but ice was visi- 

 ble ; for a month the harbor was closed and there was sleigh- 

 ing on it. There was no open water in sight except an occa- 

 sional crack in the ice caused by the change of tides ; most of the 

 seafowl had left this locality during the earl}^ stage of the severely 

 cold weather. Many Oldsquaws remained, however, until they 



