﻿2o6 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Length 
  18.5-20 
  inches; 
  extent 
  32-35; 
  wing 
  8.75-9; 
  tail 
  2.8-3; 
  tarsus 
  

   1. 
  4-1. 
  5; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  2.6; 
  bill, 
  culmen 
  1.65-2, 
  width 
  i; 
  female, 
  

   length 
  iy-iy.s; 
  wing 
  8-8.25 
  ; 
  tarsus 
  1.36; 
  bill 
  1.65. 
  

  

  The 
  Scaup, 
  Big 
  bluebill, 
  Broadbill, 
  or 
  Blackhead 
  is 
  an 
  abundant 
  

   transient 
  visitant 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  larger 
  inland 
  waters. 
  It 
  is 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  winter 
  ducks 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  and 
  is 
  fairly 
  common 
  

   in 
  winter 
  on 
  the 
  lakes. 
  It 
  usually 
  passes 
  northward 
  from 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  April 
  

   to 
  the 
  ist 
  of 
  May 
  and 
  returns 
  from 
  the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  October. 
  On 
  the 
  

   inland 
  waters 
  its 
  numbers 
  diminish 
  considerably 
  after 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  November. 
  

   It 
  is 
  most 
  abundant 
  about 
  the 
  ist 
  of 
  November 
  and 
  the 
  loth 
  of 
  April. 
  

   The 
  principal 
  breeding 
  range 
  of 
  this 
  duck 
  is 
  from 
  North 
  Dakota 
  and 
  British 
  

   Colinnbia 
  north 
  to 
  Fort 
  Churchill 
  and 
  Kotzebue 
  sound. 
  In 
  eastern 
  North 
  

   America 
  its 
  winter 
  home 
  is 
  chiefly 
  from 
  Massachusetts 
  to 
  North 
  Carolina 
  

   and 
  from 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  to 
  Texas. 
  The 
  Scaup 
  is 
  holarctic 
  in 
  range, 
  

   although 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago 
  the 
  American 
  bird 
  was 
  considered 
  subspecifically 
  

  

  distinct. 
  

  

  Ducks 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  utter 
  a 
  soft 
  purring 
  whistle 
  when 
  excited 
  or 
  

   calling 
  to 
  their 
  mates, 
  and 
  rarely 
  the 
  discordant 
  note 
  described 
  by 
  Seebohm 
  

   as 
  resembling 
  the 
  word 
  scaup 
  screamed 
  out 
  in 
  an 
  exceptionally 
  harsh, 
  

   coarse 
  voice. 
  On 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  occasions 
  I 
  have 
  heard 
  a 
  flock 
  of 
  scaups 
  

   giving 
  utterance 
  to 
  these 
  notes 
  and 
  the 
  effect 
  was 
  the 
  loudest 
  and 
  most 
  

   discordant 
  chorus 
  of 
  bird 
  notes 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  ever 
  listened, 
  coming 
  as 
  it 
  did 
  

   from 
  scores 
  of 
  voices 
  over 
  the 
  silent 
  water. 
  

  

  Marila 
  affinis 
  (Eyton) 
  

  

  (.\ 
  y 
  t 
  h 
  y 
  a 
  affinis 
  on 
  plate) 
  

  

  Lesser 
  Scaup 
  Duck 
  

  

  Plate 
  17 
  

  

  Fuligula 
  affinis 
  Eyton. 
  Monogr. 
  Anat. 
  1838. 
  p. 
  157 
  

   Fuligula 
  minor 
  DeKay 
  . 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  324 
  

   A 
  y 
  t 
  h 
  y 
  a 
  affinis 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  149 
  

  

  affl'nis, 
  Lat., 
  allied, 
  related, 
  i.e. 
  to 
  M 
  . 
  marila 
  

  

  Description. 
  Male: 
  Markings 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  Greater 
  scaup's, 
  but 
  the 
  

   wavy 
  bars 
  on 
  the 
  flanks 
  heavier 
  and 
  more 
  numerous, 
  the 
  gloss 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  

  

  