Wayne: Birds of South Carolina. 217 



I have been unable to procure a specimen to substantiate their 

 assertions. 



On the Atlantic coast of North America, this species breeds 

 from Maine northward. 



8. Mergus americanus Cass. American Merganser. 



I have never seen this species alive and according to Audubon, 1 

 "Dr. Bachman has never seen one [in South Carolina]." This 

 species is listed on the strength of Dr. Elliott Coues' statement, 3 

 but the record is unsatisfactory. While it is possible that this 

 hardy species visits the coast region, as well as the interior, in 

 severe winters, it has not to the best of my knowledge ever been 

 taken in this state. Dr. Eugene Edmund Murphey tells me that 

 it has been taken at Augusta, Georgia, and I am of the opinion 

 that this species prefers freshwater rivers and lakes rather than 

 salt water. 



In the Ornithologist and Oologist, * Mr. Walter Hoxie says: 



The Shell-drake (636) [^American Merganser] and Merganser (637) [=Red- 

 breasted] are about equally common. They seem to be very irregular in the 

 times of arrival and departure, being in some years plentiful early in the season, 

 and in others few or none are seen until well toward spring. 



As Mr. Hoxie does not appear to have taken any of these ducks, in 

 order to place his identification of M . americanus beyond question, 

 this record must be rejected. The ducks he records were all, 

 without doubt, examples of M. serrator, which is found on this 

 coast in multitudes from late in October until March; adult drakes 

 of the two species being almost impossible to identify when at 

 large except by an expert who has had wide field experience with 

 both forms. 



• 



9. Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). King Eider. 



While there is no specific record of the occurrence of this boreal 

 species in the State, I include it on the strength of several specimens 

 captured along the coast of Georgia. 



The first record for Georgia was announced by Mr. W. W. 

 Worthington, 4 who procured a specimen on April 25 and another 

 on May 5, 1890, at the mouth of the Altamaha River. Mr. 

 Worthington saw four males and three females on the latter date. 

 Other Georgia records are: Ossabaw Island, December 1, 1904, 



i Birds of America, VI, 387. 'Proc. Boat. Soc. Nat. Hist., XII, 1868, 125. 



» X, 1885, 28-29. *Auk, VII, 1890, 284. 



