,89,.] DuTCHER OH tin Labrador DiiLk. 20I 



THE LABRADOR DUCK : - A REVISED LIST OF 



THE EXTANT SPECIMENS IN NORTH AMERICA, 



WITH SOME HISTORICAL NOTES. 



BY WILLIAM DUTCIIKR. 



The object of this revised list is to bring before the ornitholo- 

 gists of North America the great desirability of search among the 

 private collections of mounted birds, scattered throughout this 

 country, for specimens of this species of Duck, which in all proba- 

 bility is now nearly, if not altogether extinct. A further object 

 is to record the exact history of the extant specimens so far as it 

 can be gathered at this late day. There are but few naturalists 

 or sportsmen now living who have had any experience with the 

 Labrador Duck in life, and these are one by one passing away. 

 Of the life history of this interesting species but little is known, 

 for when it was common there were but few, if any, observers in 

 the field, and the science of ornithology had not advanced to its 

 present high plane. As long ago as when Audubon was in La- 

 brador (see his ' Birds of America') it was so rare that he did 

 not meet with it and the great Wilson said of it : " This is rather 

 a scarce species on our coast."* Giraud, in his 'Birds of Long 

 Island,' says : '' With us it is rather rare." 



It is true that at a later date than the above, say during the 

 period from 1840 to i860, there were apparently more of these 

 Ducks seen than earlier. f 



This, however, I think, may be easily explained as follows : dur- 

 ing the later period there were a far greater number of scientific 

 collectors, and there was a market demand for game and water- 

 fowl which gave employment to professional gunners who shot 

 and sent to market great numbers of birds. During the open 

 season one can see hanging in our markets hundreds and some- 

 times thousands of Ducks of the commoner varieties ; this has been 

 the case for many years, perhaps to a lesser degree formerly 

 because the demand was not then so great. While it is very 



* American Ornithology, Vol. Ill, 1829, p. 369. 



tSee the letters and 5t.itenients given below of such ornithologists as George N. 

 Liwrence, D. G. Klliot, John G. Bell and others who were actively collecting at that 

 date. 



