DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS: Family Anatidae [169] 



none of the early naturalists mentioned its presence in the State. So far 

 we have found that Woodcock's list (1902.) contained the first published 

 reference to it as an Oregon bird. The numerous individuals that remain 

 with us through the summer are nonbreeding birds, as there is no evidence 

 whatever to indicate that they nest in the State. 



Inland, we have only a few records. Woodcock (1901) reported a 

 specimen received from a hunter near Corvallis on November 4, 1900. 

 Jewett has a specimen from the Columbia River below Portland, col- 

 lected January 2., 192.7. There have been at least two birds taken near 

 Klamath Falls. One, a female (Game Commission Coll. No. 480), was 

 obtained on November 2.0, 1912., and the second, reported by Telford 

 (1916), was killed November n, 1915. Almost certainly ducks of this 

 species have been noted on the Snake River near Ontario on one or two 

 occasions, but conditions prevented positive identification. Since this 

 species nests abundantly in the interior of Canada and must reach the 

 Oregon coast by an overland flight, it may be expected on any large body 

 of water in eastern Oregon. 



In common with other scoters the White-winged Scoters display an 

 uncanny power to handle themselves even in the heaviest surf. They 

 habitually feed among the breakers, diving through them just in time to 

 avoid the smother of foam or riding buoyantly over the crests if there is 

 even a slight gap of solid water where the wave has not broken. It is a 

 fascinating sight to watch them under such conditions. An observer 

 momentarily expects to see them tumbled end over end in the breaking 

 waters, but always at the last possible moment they dive into the solid 

 water to appear behind the crest or an unbroken bit of crest will appear 

 to allow them to ride triumphantly over. Never have we seen a case of 

 misjudgment on the part of one of these ducks, so much at home in the 

 rough waters of our coasts. 



These sea ducks feed on shellfish and are often accused of destroying 

 quantities of oysters. They swallow shellfish of almost unbelievable size, 

 and their economic status has been the subject of recent studies by the 

 Biological Survey, the results of which are not yet available for publi- 

 cation. 



Surf Scoter; Sea Coot; Skunk Duck: 



Melanitta perspicillata (Linnaeus) 



DESCRIPTION. "Bill with swollen sides of base naked ; feathers of forehead reaching 

 to near nostril, of lores only to corner of mouth; bill black and less swollen in 

 female; red, orange, yellow, and white in male, with large black spot on side of 

 base. Adult male: entire plumage velvety black except for triangular white patch on 

 forehead and another on back of head; eyes white. Adult female: upper parts sooty 

 brown, under parts silver gray, usually with white patch at corner of mouth. 

 Young: like female, but with whitish patches at base of bill and back of ear." (Bailey) 



