﻿2 
  24 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Oidemia 
  perspicillata 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Surf 
  Scoter 
  

  

  Plate 
  >o 
  

  

  Anas 
  perspicillata 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  lo. 
  1758. 
  1:125 
  

   Fuligula 
  perspicillata 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  335, 
  fig. 
  253, 
  254 
  

   Oidemia 
  perspicillata 
  A. 
  O. 
  tj. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  166 
  

  

  per'spicilla'ta, 
  Lat., 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  male: 
  Glossy 
  black, 
  duller 
  below; 
  a 
  triangular 
  

   white 
  patch 
  on 
  forehead, 
  and 
  another 
  on 
  the 
  nape 
  ; 
  bill 
  white, 
  pink, 
  orange 
  

   and 
  carmine 
  red, 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  black 
  patch 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  upper 
  mandible 
  

   near 
  the 
  base; 
  feet 
  orange 
  red 
  with 
  dusky 
  webs; 
  iris 
  pearly 
  white. 
  Female 
  

   and 
  young: 
  Sooty 
  brown 
  above 
  ; 
  silvery 
  gray 
  below 
  ; 
  sides 
  of 
  head 
  with 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  grayish 
  white, 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  males 
  at 
  least 
  gathered 
  into 
  cheek 
  and 
  

   ear 
  patches 
  ; 
  bill 
  blackish 
  ; 
  feet 
  dusky 
  tinged 
  with 
  reddish 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  smallest 
  

   dimensions 
  given. 
  

  

  Length 
  17-21 
  inches; 
  extent 
  31-36; 
  wing 
  9-10; 
  tarsus 
  1.6 
  5-1. 
  7; 
  

   middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  3.25; 
  bill 
  along 
  gape 
  2.25-2.5. 
  

  

  Remarks. 
  The 
  male 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  the 
  tumid 
  enlargement 
  of 
  the 
  

   bill 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  above 
  the 
  nostrils 
  and 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  loral 
  

   region 
  do 
  not 
  encroach 
  upon 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  White-winged 
  

   scoter. 
  The 
  latter 
  character 
  will 
  help 
  distinguish 
  females 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  

   Surf 
  duck, 
  but 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  patch 
  in 
  the 
  wing 
  makes 
  just 
  as 
  

   certain 
  a 
  mark, 
  and 
  one 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  recognized 
  at 
  a 
  long 
  distance. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  and 
  migration. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  an 
  abundant 
  transient 
  

   visitant 
  along 
  the 
  seacoast 
  and 
  common 
  along 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river 
  and 
  Lake 
  

   Champlain. 
  It 
  is 
  less 
  commonly 
  m,et 
  with 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  except 
  in 
  

   the 
  fall 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  common 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  in 
  October. 
  Immature 
  specimens 
  

   are 
  occasionally 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  central 
  lakes, 
  but 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  common 
  than 
  

   the 
  White-winged 
  scoter. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  cominon 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  off 
  the 
  

   Long 
  Island 
  coast, 
  but 
  rare 
  as 
  a 
  winter 
  visitant 
  on 
  the 
  inland 
  waters. 
  It 
  

   arrives 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  from 
  the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  October 
  and 
  disappears 
  

   from 
  the 
  smaller 
  inland 
  waters 
  by 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  November. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  

   it 
  leaves 
  the 
  Long 
  Island 
  waters 
  in 
  May, 
  no 
  definite 
  dates 
  being 
  obtainable. 
  

   This 
  species 
  breeds 
  from 
  Newfoundland 
  and 
  southern 
  Labrador 
  to 
  Great 
  

   Slave 
  lake 
  and 
  the 
  Arctic 
  coast 
  and 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  winter 
  principally 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  from 
  the 
  Bav 
  of 
  Fundv 
  to 
  Florida. 
  

  

  