34 BIRDS OF MAINE. 



This is a rare winter visitor along our coast, but still it is doubt- 

 less much commoner than would be supposed from the meager 

 records presented. Breeds in the far north, and south as far as 

 Labrador. 



County Records. Cumberland (Brock) ; Knox, "rare in winter" 

 (Rackliff) ; Sagadahoc, "one specimen, a male" (Spinney). 



68. (160). Somateria dresser! Sharpe. American Eider. 



Of general occurrence as a winter visitor along the entire coast. 

 It is a rare summer resident from Isle au Haut eastwerd, breeding 

 on some of the smaller islands in colonies of two to four pairs of 

 birds or by single pairs. It used to be much commoner than it is 

 now, and its ultimate extinction as a breeding bird is only a ques- 

 tion of a few years. The fishermen know of every "Sea Duck's" 

 (this is the name they have for the bird) nest in the neighborhood, 

 and promptly rob the nests of their eggs for culinary use, or to 

 hatch and rear them with their domestic fowls. (Cf. Knight, The 

 Auk, Vol. 12, p. 388). 



County Records. Cumberland, "fairly common" (Brock) ; Hancock, 

 "in 1896 about seven pair of these birds nested on various small islands 

 between Little Duck and Isle an Haut, while the previous year at least 

 ten pair of the birds were found in the same locality; their numbers are 

 decreasing yearly" (Knight) ; Knox, "resident" (Rackliff) ; Sagadahoc, 

 "common in winter, arrives in November" (Spinney) ; Washington, 

 "abundant in winter" (Boardman). 



Subgenus ERIONETTA Coues. 



69. (162). Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). King Eider. 



A regular winter resident along the coast, where it sometimes 

 occurs quite commonly, but is usually rare. It breeds in the 

 Arctic regions. 



County Records. Cumberland, "fairly common" (Brock) ; Knox, 

 "winter" (Rackliff) ; Sagadahoc, "three specimens in ten years") Spin- 

 ney) ; Washington, "not rare in winter" (Boardman). 



Genus OIDEMIA Fleming. 

 Subgenus OIDEMIA. 



70. (103). Oidemia americana Sw. and Rich. American Scoter. 

 A resident along the coast, but commonest in the migrations and 



in winter. It is of rare occurrence inland on the ponds and lakes. 



