238 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



OIDEMIA FUSCA '(Linn.). 



MELANITTA DEGLANDI (Bonaparte). Proposed April, 1917. 



White-winged Scoter. 

 Accidental. 



The only authority for including this bird is the mounted 

 specimen in the Public Library, without data but said to have 

 been taken near by. 



OIDEMIA PERSPICILLATA (Linn.). 



MELANITTA PERSPICILLATA (Linn.). Proposed April, 1917. 



Surf Scoter. 

 Very rare winter visitant. 



A female Surf Scoter taken by Charles Bankers, near Corn- 

 ing, and beautifully mounted by that naturalist, is the only 

 record of the occurrence of this duck in this part of Missouri. 

 There are five records from Lawrence, one given by Vernon 

 Kellogg (K. C. Scientist, 1891), and four by Bunker. 



ERISMATURA JAMAICENSIS (Gmelin). Ruddy Duck. 

 Not uncommon but irregular migrant. 



Formerly a very common migrant, the Ruddy Duck has 

 greatly diminished in numbers. It is irregular in its occur- 

 rence here, some years appearing in quite large numbers. A 

 flock of between 50 and 100 was seen on March 15, 1916, float- 

 ing down the Missouri River near the Hannibal Bridge. 



Arriving early in March they hurry through and are back by 

 the middle of October, and all have left by the last week in 

 November. 



Subfamily Anserinae. Geese. 



CHEN HYPERBOREUS HYPERBOREUS (Pallas). Snow Goose. 

 Fairly common migrant. 



The white geese begin coming late in February and are not 

 usually seen after the first ten days in April. They pass 

 through on their return flight from the middle of October to 

 the middle of November. 



Occasional records for mid-winter and early February have 

 led some observers to assume that this goose remains during 

 open winters. It would be so easy for birds with such powers 

 of flight to go south even for a short period (as their near rela- 

 tives, the Blue Geese are known to do) that this assumption 

 seems not to be warranted by the present evidence. 



