58 NOTES ON “THE 
AYTHYA MARILA NEARCTICA Sresyecer. (148.) 
GREATER SCAUP DUCK. 
The comon name, Blue-bill, is the only one known to the 
vernacular of our local sportsmen. Amongst the earlier mi- 
grants of its sub-family, the Blue-bills come to us in the first 
ranks of the duck hosts of late March. It seems as if “when 
one comes, all come,” but the number vary, like some other 
species, with the seasons, sometimes overshadowing any, 
indeed every other species for a short time. At these times 
they frequent all waters, pools by the wayside—shallow 
lakes, ponds, streams and marshes, but still discover to the 
critical observer, a preference for estuaries. These afford 
them such food as the high waters bring down from the inun- 
dations of the higher lands. 
They fly in very close, compact flocks, which, however large 
upon their first arrival, are soon broken into smaller ones of 
about a dozen to twenty, and are much on the wing when the 
weather is cloudy and windy. When on the water at consider- 
able distance, their identification is not ordinarily difficult, on 
account of their huddling together very closely, and their 
habit of constantly diving. They are about the tamest of the 
wild ducks, and almost the stupidest also, for after having 
been repeatedly fired into, and driven to wing, they will return 
by a short circle to nearly the same locality until a consid- 
erable portion of the flock has been killed. 
During the last week in April, and the first in May they dis- 
appear, after which only an occasional male is seen through 
the summer in the low wet marshes. They build their nests of 
reeds and grass, on the ground in remote marshes and swamps, 
about the second week in May, and deposit eight to ten eggs 
colored pale drab, and dingy with a wash of olivaceous. The 
first nest to which my attention was called by Mr. Lewis, was 
located within three miles of this city, near a sluggish stream 
connecting two lakes. It contained but three eggs on the thir- 
teenth of May, but was not disturbed until containing eight, 
only one of which I was permitted to retain. I think there are 
relatively few that breed as far south as where my personal 
observations have been principally made, but they are as com- 
mon as any other species about Lake Superior during the sum- 
mer in the marshes. 
