86 



AMERICAN SWAN-MARSH TERN— ROSS' GULL-SPIRIT DUCK. 



minutes he has progressed three miles;" and adds, "over the 

 moors he sweeps at the height of two or three hundred feet, bend- 

 ing his course to either side, his wings wide spread, his neck and 

 feet retracted, now beating the air, and again sailing smoothly 

 along. Now he ascends a little, wheels in short curves, presently 

 rushes down headlong, assumes the horizontal position when close 

 to the ground, prevents being dashed against it by expanding his 

 wings and tail, and grasping a poor terrified Ptarmigan that sat 

 cowering among the gray lichens, squeezes it to death, raises his 

 head exultingly, emits a clear shrill cry, and, springing from the 

 ground, pursues his journey." 



PLATE LX. 



American or Whistling Swan. (Cygnus americanus.) 



Fig. i. 



The American Swan is unknown in the United States in its incu- 

 bating season, but during the winter months it is plentiful along 

 the Pacific coast, and it also winters in limited numbers in Chesa- 

 peake Bay. They breed within the Arctic Circle, choosing some 

 marsh, where, in a tussock of grass, sometimes completely sur- 

 rounded by water, they lay two eggs. These eggs have a rough- 

 ened surface, in color of a dull, dirty white, with more or less of 

 brownish markings, measuring about 4.50 by 2.75 inches. Some 

 time in July they moult, and as at such times they are unable to 

 fly, the natives find little trouble in capturing them. The flesh, 

 when in proper condition, is said to be tender, well-flavored, and 

 excellent. They commence their southern migrations in October, 

 when the weather is propitious, and mounting high into the air in 

 the shape of a prolonged V, and with loud screams, launch out for 

 a more genial clime. It is claimed that in these journeys a dis- 

 tance of more than one hundred miles per hour is frequently at- 

 tained. Their food consists of duck-grass, worms, insects, and 

 shell-fish, and while feeding, one is always delegated to act the 

 part of sentinel. They are very shy birds, and have some means 

 of signaling which as yet remains undiscovered. When dressing 

 their feathers they are extremely nois}* - , and at night their wild cries 

 may be heard several miles. According to Dr. Sharpless, quoted 

 in Audubon, "their notes are extremely varied, some closely re- 

 sembling the deepest bass of the common tin-horn, while others 

 run through every modulation of false note of the French-horn or 

 clarionet." 



Mr. A. Strauch, superintendent of Spring Grove Cemetery, in 

 Cincinnati, writes us as follows : "There are now six fine speci- 

 mens of the American Whistling Swan, on the lakes at the ceme- 

 tery. They were captured about three years ago on the Potomac 

 river. Some of these birds have a yellow patch on the base of the 

 bill anterior to the eye, while others again have lost this mark dur- 

 ing the last year. On young birds, this spot is reddish. Although 

 very suitable localities are afforded these birds, they have not as 

 yet shown any sign of breeding, while the Trumpeter Swans have 

 been breeding in the same vicinity the past twelve years, and about 

 fifty have been reared and distributed through the United States." 



Marsh Tern. {Sterna aranea.) 



Fig. a. 



The Marsh Tern is a rare visitor along the Atlantic coasts of 

 New York and New England. According to Audubon, it is pretty 

 abundant about the salt-marshes of the mouths of the Mississippi 

 in the beginning of April, which it reaches by folio wingjhe Gulf 

 shores from Texas and from still further south. Its journeys are 

 performed over the waters of the sea, a few hundred yards from 



shore, coming inland for food. The cry of these birds is rough 

 and sharp, often repeated from their desire of keeping in close 

 company, and so loud as to be heard at great distances. Their 

 food consists largely of insects, a black water-spider proving a 

 great dainty with them. In incubating, no nest is made, the female 

 depositing three eggs in the dried rushes found in the salt marshes, 

 and far enough inland to be beyond the reach of the tide. The 

 eggs are of a greenish color, marked with irregular splashes of 

 very dark umber, and measuring about 1.75 by 1.12 inches. The 

 parents are longer incubating than birds hatched upon the sand, 

 and the young, until the following winter, have different markings 

 from the parent birds. Audubon tells us that "when an accident 

 happens to the female during the breeding season, her mate mani- 

 fests a most affectionate concern ; but the female in such a case 

 acts differently. On shooting several males on various occasions, 

 whether they were killed outright, or fell wounded on the earth or 

 the water, I observed that the female would only take a round as 

 she rose above the reach of shot, and move off at once to some 

 considerable distance ; but when the female dropped, if on the 

 water, the male would plunge headlong toward her, and alighting 

 by her side, would do all in his power to aid her in swimming 

 or flying off. If she fell on the ground, he would alight there, 

 and exhibit the same marks of anxious care, thus affording to the 

 gunner the best opportunity of destroying him." 



Ross' Gull— Wedged-tailed Gull. (Rhodostethia rosea?) 



Fig- 3- 



Almost absolutely nothing is known regarding this bird. There 

 is no record of its appearance in the United States, and up to 1865 

 but five specimens were known. It is confined to the polar world, 

 and has been observed in zones of water beyond 82 latitude. One 

 or two have been seen in England. MacGillivray first mentioned 

 the bird in 1826, and later, Dr. Richardson, in the Fauna Boreali- 

 Americana, says that "two specimens of this Gull were killed on 

 the coast of Melville Peninsula, on Sir Edward Parry's second 

 voyage, one of which is preserved in the Museum of the Univer- 

 sity of Edinburgh. Commander Ross, in his Zoological Appendix 

 to Sir Edward Parry's narrative of his most adventurous boat voy- 

 age toward the Pole, relates that several were seen during the 

 journey over the ice north cl Spitzbergen, and that Lieutenant 

 Forster also found the species in Waygait Straits, which is proba- 

 bly one of its breeding places." 



Buffalo-headed Duck— Buffle-head— Butter-ball— Dipper— Spirit Duok. 



(Bucefhala al&eola.') 



Fig- 4- 



Until recently this Duck was supposed not to breed within the 

 United States, but Dr. Coues states that he has reason to believe 

 that it nests in Northern Dakota. In the spring and autumn it is 

 a very common bird all along our coasts, where it associates with 

 other Ducks. It is an expert diver, and is so wary that only the 

 most expert gunner is enabled to bag it. When feeding, one 

 always remains as sentinel, while the others dive in search of food. 

 In case of an alarm the sentinel gives a sharp quack, when all rise 

 to the surface, and learning the cause of the warning, immediately 

 dive again, and, under water, swim off to a distance of several hun- 

 dred feet. It flies with great velocity, and when on the wing gives 

 utterance to a quick succession of guttural "quacks I quack! 

 quack I " It builds a feathery nest some distance from the ground, 

 selecting a dead tree for the purpose, and lays from five to eight 

 eggs. The eggs are without markings, in color a compromise be- 

 tween a creamy white and a grayish-olive, and measure about 2 by 

 1.50 inches. Its food consists principally of fish, which gives a 



