L08 \ [££ 



The earliest writers refer to the Bpeeies as rare or very rare in Massachu- 

 setts. Alexander Wilson, aeeordiug to Bonaparte was ttOl oven await- 

 that it was a member of the North American fauna. Audubon speaks of its 



rare oeeurroneo in the vicinity of the ' bay of boston.' and further states 

 that " 1 have, however been assured by old and trustworthy gunners that 

 the King Duck, about thirty years ago, was by DO means oi rare occurrence 

 there during winter." Curiously enough 1 also have received the same 

 sort of information within a year from the same type of observer. It is 



marvelous how many statements got into literature from fishermen, etc . 

 a type thai in my experience has proved to be exceedingly unreliable as a 



rule. I am aware of one market gunner dwelling on the Atlantic seaboard 

 who is exoeedingrj dishonest in most of his dealings with men. yet many of 

 his statements have worked their w a\ verbatim into American Ornithology. 

 The query naturally suggests itself: Will a man of naturally dishonest pro- 

 pensities in the pursuit of a livelihood, furnish ornithological data tit to be 

 handed down to posterity" 



The King I'ider, as we know it. is apparently during the winter an - off- 

 shore ' bird, and us previous reported occurrence near the coast would indi- 

 cate a change in habits. Mr v ll Norton (Auk, Vol XVII, No L, Jan., 

 1900, p i^ N states that Soma •■ ibiKs feeds largely on Bolothurians 

 hence their feeding m deeper water than dresseri which 

 as far as I know . prefers in our waters, the common mussel [MyiUus edulis 

 Linn4) and perhaps ModiobtS modiolus K \ inne\ On the other hand two 

 King Eiders shot at Long Island on three to four fathoms of water were 

 said by Mr William Puteher to be gorged with M lus s Auk. 



Vol. \ . No 2, April. 1888, p 174), If at former times they were near the 

 eoast it is reasonable to believe that they might have fed on ' - btHs, 



which is now and undoubtedly lias been, abundant along our shore. 

 That they were driven off shore before Audubon's time by the persecution 

 of man seems unreasonable, for I am assured by a friend who has killed 

 many Eiders in the far north that they exhibit no more fear than the other 

 Eiders which are notably fearless Mr. A. C. Bent of Taunton tells me that 

 the gunners at Westport, Mass.. state that these birds are common in that 

 vicinity during winter, frequenting the outer rocky islands and reefs 

 amon ' seems a strong statement, but the faet that eight were killed 

 in one day would lead one to believe that they may be ' not rare." They 

 apparently know the King from the Ameriean Eider as they refer to the 

 former as ' Cousins ' and the latter as - W amps ' The species is un- 

 doubtedly more common than present literature and accurate observations 

 would indicate, as systematic offshore work is a difficult problem for i 

 ornithologists. Until further investigations are made however, it must be 

 tared a very rare visitant in Massachusetts. 



The majority of the specimens taken have been shot during the fall, but 

 this. I think, is not due to the migration routes or periods, but to the fact 

 that they were procured largely by gunners engaged in ' rooting,' a sport 

 that in most localities where S rs lid not 'bed,' eeased by the first 



