114 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



MASTIC. Casual, early October 1912, specimen taken by 

 W. S. Dana. 



LONG BEACH. Mr. Bicknell writes me that C. H. Lott 

 shot two Eiders off Point Lookout about fifteen years ago and 

 another early in November 1921, a female or immature bird. 

 In neither case was the species determined, but the King Eider 

 is much more likely. 



AMERICAN SCOTER (Oidemia americana) 

 This is our least abundant Scoter, rarely occurring in any 

 large numbers, but it is observed more frequently at the 

 extreme western end of Long Island than the Surf Scoter. 

 There is much loose identification of Scoters off-shore by 

 size and other trivial characters. Observers should remember 

 that distinguishing them in life is quite critical, and requires 

 close range and good light. Under such circumstances the 

 drakes present little difficulty, but females and young should 

 be positively named with the greatest caution. A winter trip 

 to Montauk Point would render a student better acquainted 

 with these birds than five seasons of squinting at them 

 through a telescope from the beaches near the City, where 

 they are usually way out at sea. 



Years ago Mearns, Fisher, and Stearns regarded all three 

 Scoters as abundant migrants on the Hudson River, and Mr. 

 Courtney Brandreth assures me that the White-winged is 

 common, and the other two fairly common on the Tappan 

 Zee at the present time. Elsewhere on the Hudson the White- 

 winged Scoter is now a rare bird, not only in our area but also 

 in Dutchess County to the north (Crosby) ; the other two 

 species are unknown, and there are no records other than the 

 statements of the gentlemen quoted. This is exactly in 

 accord with the facts, as generally established at present, 

 namely, that the White-winged Scoter is rare on small bodies 

 of water inland, the American is very rare or casual, and the 

 Surf Scoter is purely casual an}- where inland except the 

 Great Lakes. That this species in particular should have been 



