282 Mackay, Ilobifs of the Scofrrf. [July 



(ling to the weather, tlie young birds making their ap]:)earance the 

 hist of September or first of October. I have known a considerable 

 flight to occnr on the last day of .Septeml)er, the wind all day 

 being very fresh from the southwest, which deflected them in 

 towards the land ; such an early movement is, however, unusual. 

 An easterlv storm about the middle of August is likely to bring 

 them along, the wind from this direction being particularlv favor- 

 able for migration ; if, on the other hand, the weather is mild and 

 warm, it is not usual to see them so early. 



From this time on they continue to pass along the coast until 

 near the end of December, the main flight coining between the 

 Sth and 3oth of October, depending upon the weather, when the 

 migration appeai-s to be at an end. During such migration they 

 are estimated to fly at a rate of about one hundred miles an hour, 

 but this rate is also governed by the weather. The greater part 

 of these Scoters pass around Cape Cod, as I have never heard of, 

 nor seen, any of the immense bodies of 'bedded' fowl north or 

 east of it as occur south and west of the Cape ; probably because 

 they are unable to find either the security or profusion of food north 

 of it, that they can obtain in the waters to the south. They there- 

 fore congregate here in large numbers. On March iS, 18715, I 

 saw on a return shooting trip fiom the island of Muskeget to Nan- 

 tucket a body of Scoters, comprising the three varieties, which 

 my three companions and myself estimated to contain twenty 

 five thousand birds. 



In these shallow waters the tide runs lapidly over the shoal 

 ground and sweeps the Scoters away from where they wish to feed, 

 thus necessitating their flying back again to it ; consequently there 

 is at such times a continual movement among them as they are 

 feeding. When wounded and closely pursued, they will frequent- 

 ly dive to the bottom (always using their wings as well as feet at 

 such times in swimming under water) and retain hold of the rock- 

 weed with the bill until drowned, prefering thus to die than to 

 come to the surface to be captured. As an instance of this, I may 

 mention that on one occasion I shot a Scoter when the water was 

 so still that there was not even a ripple on its surface ; after pur- 

 suing the bird for some time I drove it near the shore, when it 

 dove and did not reappear. I knew it nuist have gone to the 

 bottom, as I had seen the same thing repeatedly before. As the 

 occasion was a favorable one for investigation, the water being 



