40 THE BIRDS OF RHODE ISLAND. 



— An irregular winter visitant. Dr. Rives says it "has been 

 obtained this winter up the bay" (1884-5), ^ Lawton says^ the 

 bird is "now and then met with " at> Newport. Mr. O. Durfee 

 writes that he is informed that " this bird is tolerably common 

 off Sakonnet Point in winter, one was shot there about the 

 middle of February, 1899." Two were found in the collection 

 of Mr. R. L. Agassiz, taken- in December, 1885, at Newport now 

 in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass. Mr. H. S. Hathaway writes that a female was 

 taken at Nayatt Point on November 27, 1879, one at Wickford 

 in February, 1895, a male at Nayatt Point, January i, 1884, 

 probably the bird Dr. Rives referred to, and a male at Nar- 

 ragansett Pier about January 30, 1898, now in the collection. 

 November 27 to February. 



(54) 163. Oidemia americana Swains. American Sco- 

 ter. Butter-bill. American Scoter Duck. Butter-bill Coot. 

 Yellow-billed Coot. — A common winter resident along the coast, 

 not often met with in Narragansett Bay. 



October to May 11. 



(55) 165. Oidemia deglandi Bonap. White-winged Sco- 

 ter. Great May White-witig. May White-^ving. Velvet Duck. 

 Velvet Scoter. — A common winter resident along the coast and 

 in Narragansett Bay. The most common of the Scoters. Its 

 peculiar May migration to the westward is spoken of at length 

 under " Migration. " Crippled and barren birds are seen through- 

 out the summer, perhaps most commonly in the Bay. 



September 15 to June 7. June, July and August. 



(56) 166. Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.). Surf Scoter. 

 Patch-poll Coot. Skunk-head. Surf Duck. Patch-bill Coot. Fe- 

 males are called Gray Coot. — A common winter resident along 

 the coast and in Narragansett Bay. Crippled and barren birds 

 are seen during the summer months. 



September i to May 14. July and August. 



' Dr. Rives List, p. 40. 

 ^ Lawton's List, p. 16. 



