672 



designation given to all sea-ducks, including Eiders, Scoters, and Velvet Ducks. The young 



and female of this species, as well as those of the American Scoter, are indiscriminately known 



as Grey Coots. In Greenland only a few of this species are known to have occurred. Mr. Ross 



found it abundant on the Mackenzie river ; Captain Blakiston received a number of specimens 



from Hudson's Bay, where Mr. Murray also obtained it, and where it occurs only during its 



migrations. From September to April this species is common on the entire Atlantic coast from 



Nova Scotia to North Carolina ; and Dr. Bachman found a few as far south even as Charleston. 



Its presence at this season is regulated quite as much by the abundance of its food as by the 



severity of the weather. Until midwinter the flocks wend southward, finding food more abundant 



in the warmer waters ; but after February the movement is northwards, and by the end of April 



the immense procession of this very abundant species has passed beyond the Bay of Fundy to 



their breeding-places, with the exception of crippled, immature, superannuated, and otherwise 



unmated individuals. The flesh of this Duck is dark-coloured, and has a very strong and peculiar 



flavour, which, however, is not unpalatable to many, but requires one to become accustomed to 



it to fancy it. It is as abundant on the Pacific coast as on the Atlantic, where it is found as far 



south as San Pedro. It was found breeding at Sitka by Mr. Bischoff, and by Mr. Dall at the 



mouth of the Yukon. Mr. Lockhart found this species breeding near the Arctic Sea, on the 



edge of a small portage between two lakes. It was also found breeding in considerable numbers 



near Fort Anderson by Mr. Macfarlane. Its nest contained usually sis eggs, and was not readily 



distinguishable from that of the Velvet Duck. One only contained as many as eight eggs. It 



was also found breeding at Fort Resolution, on the Yukon, near Fort Simpson, at Fort B,ae, and 



various other points in the interior of the Arctic regions. It was very abundant on the Arctic 



coast about Franklin Bay. The nests were generally alike, and all composed of a peculiar dark 



down. The eggs are of a uniform ivory-white colour, with a pink tinge, 2 - 30 inches in length 



by 1-60 in breadth." 



To the above I may add, Messrs. Wedderburn and Hurdis state that it has been obtained 

 at Bermuda, one having been killed on the 22nd of October 1854, and another on the 7th of 

 October ; and, according to Gosse, it has occurred in Jamaica. 



When living in New Brunswick I had ample opportunities of observing the present species ; 

 for during the seasons of passage it was very numerous, though less so, as far as my experience 

 goes, in the autumn than in the spring. In some seasons it occurs in great numbers. This was 

 the case in 1862, when I spent a few days at Lepreaux Lighthouse, which is placed on a rocky 

 point jutting out from the mainland into the Bay of Fundy. On my arrival there on the 25th 

 of April, myriads of Ducks were flying past, among which Surf-Scoters were more numerous 

 than any other species. They followed the line of the coast, at a short distance from the shore, 

 and in passing the point generally steered close in, or flew over the end of the point itself. On 

 the 26th I spent the day among the rocks; and I never recollect seeing water-fowl in such 

 countless numbers as I did on that day, all wending their way northward. Velvet, Common, 

 and especially Surf-Scoters, were the most numerous ; but there were also many Eiders, Brent 

 Geese, Long-tailed Ducks, with a few Harlequins, Great Northern Divers, and some others. 

 The Surf-Scoters flew in large compact flocks, from eight to ten deep. I estimated the length of 

 the flocks by watching them as they passed certain points, the distance between which was known 



