77 



Field Marks. Evident black colour and yellow bill of male, and the lack of white spots 

 or facial marks and the dark cap on the female. 



Nesting. On the ground, near water. 



Distribution. Breeds in the far north across the continent; common in winter on our 

 eastern coasts and not unusual on lower Great Lakes. 



165. White-winged Scoter, white-winged coot. pk. — la macheuse veloutee. 

 Oidemia deglandi. L, 22. Dark brown, almost black, with white ring patches and a 

 small white crescent under the eye; bill is swollen at the base rising more abruptly forward 

 than shown in Figure 9, p. 19, and the upper mandible is coloured with bright red and 

 white. Female even, dull brown. 



Distinctions. White wing-patch is distinctive of any plumage of this species. 

 Field Marks. Large size, general and even darkness, and white wing-patches. 

 Nesting. On ground, under or among bushes. 



Distribution. Breeds in the higher latitudes across the continent; abundant on the 

 coast in migration and is the commonest Scoter on the Great Lakes and in the interior. 



166. Surf Scoter, bottle-nosed diver, fk. — la macbeuse a large bec. Oidemia 

 perspicillata. L, 20. Male all black with white patch across forehead and a triangle of 

 same colour at base of head; bill greatly swollen (Figure 9, p. 19) and coloured most 

 strikingly with reds, yellow, and black. Female dull brown, lighter below and much like 

 that of American Scoter. 



Distinctions. White patches of the head are distinctive of male. Female can be told 

 from that of the White-winged by lack of wing-patches; and from the American by absence 

 of cap and presence of two vague light spots on side of the face, one at base of bill and 

 the other covering the ear. 



Field Marks. White on head of male and the two vague spots on face of female. 



Nesting. In grass near water. 



Distribution. Of about the same distribution as last species, but perhaps more common 

 on the coast and less so on the Great Lakes. 



Genus — Erismatura. Ruddy Duck. 



167. Ruddy Duck. er. — le canard roux. Erismatura jamaicensis. L, 15. 

 A small Duck. Male strikingly coloured, rich rufous-chestnut on neck, shoulders, back, 

 and flanks ; crown and back of head almost black, and cheeks and lower face white. Female 

 small, dull greyish brown, lighter on underparts and cheeks, and with a dark cap. 



Distinction. Male is the only Duck that is largely red. Female can be told by the 

 silvery grebe-like sheen of the underparts, and, in any plumage, by the stiff, pointed tail 

 feathers. 



Field Marks. Size, short squatty shape, and thick neck. Its trick of occasionally 

 carrying its tail erect and spread out fan-wise is also a good guide, though some Scoters 

 also are said to do this at times. 



Nesting. In reeds over water. 



Distribution. Nests in the prairie provinces northward; more common in migrations 

 on the Great Lakes than on the coast. 



Subfamily — Anserinas. Geese. 



General Description. Geese resemble Ducks, but are larger with a, less flattened body 

 and comparatively longer legs; bill (Figure 10, p. 19) is higher and somewhat more com- 

 pressed at base, stouter and less flattened at tip, hardly to be termed spatulate but with 

 the broad nail at tip characteristic of the order. 



Field Marks. The strong flight of the geese is familiar to most. Size, coloration, 

 and flight habits are the best field guides. Their hoarse, honking voices so often heard 

 during migration are also characteristic. 



Nesting. On the ground. 



Distribution. Geese are of world-wide distribution. The American species all breed 

 well to the north, migrating through the interior as well as along the coasts. 



28587— 6i 



