174 The Water-fowl Family 



coming out of the summer plumage. When the 

 young fly they congregate in flocks, often far off- 

 shore. These birds are excellent divers and secure 

 their food in deep water. In winter small numbers 

 of king eiders straggle south as far as the New 

 England coast. I have three specimens of this 

 duck killed near New Haven, Connecticut, and 

 know of several others taken in the same location. 

 In January, 1901, a few of these birds were seen 

 in Branford harbor, Connecticut. They remained 

 by themselves, paying little heed to the scoters 

 and other ducks. Eventually two were shot. The 

 king eider occasionally visits the Great Lakes. 

 Most of the specimens taken in these localities 

 have been young birds of the first year. 



AMERICAN SCOTER 

 (Oidemia americana) 



Adult male Bill, black, with a bright orange base ; entire plumage, 

 jet-black with a gloss on the head and neck ; iris, brown ; legs 

 and feet, brownish black. 



Measurements Length, 18 inches; wing, 8.75 inches; culmen, 

 1.75 inches; tarsus, 1.80 inches. 



Adult female Front, crown, and back of neck, dark brown ; rest of 

 head and neck, lighter ; upper parts, sooty brown, with lighter 

 tips to feathers ; under parts of a grayish cast ; bill, black, normal 

 in shape ; legs and feet, olive-brown ; webs, black. 



Measurements Length, 18 inches; wing, 8.50 inches; culmen, 

 1.70 inches; tarsus, 1.60 inches. 



Young males, of the first year, resemble the female ; later they are 

 distinguished by occasional black feathers or patches of black 

 in the otherwise brown plumage. 



