WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. 



A WELL-KNOWN species along our coasts, and on 

 *^ our inland lakes and rivers in certain portions of 

 the West, the White-winged Scoter has a wide distribu- 

 tion throughout North America. It does not seem to 

 breed as far north as the American Scoter, but has been 

 obtained on both sides of the continent, and goes in win- 

 ter on the Pacific coast as far as Southern California and 

 to the Middle States on the Atlantic. It is also found 

 upon the Great Lakes, being common on Lake Michigan, 

 and is generally met with throughout Illinois in winter 

 and has been seen in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and as far 

 south as the vicinity of St. Louis, in Missouri. 



As the White-winged Coot it is known everywhere, 

 and is usually considered of little value, on account 

 of the poor quality of its flesh. Its habits resemble those 

 of the other Coots, with which it is frequently associated. 

 In Alaska it breeds, about St. Michael's, on the lower 

 Yukon, and also in the vicinity of Sitka, and occurs very 

 sparingly among the Aleutian Islands, but in autumn is 

 common along the coast of the mainland from St. 

 Michael's, southward. On the eastern side of North 

 America it breeds along the Mackenzie River to the 

 Arctic Sea, on the Lower Anderson River, and on the 

 Barren Grounds, and at Hudson Bay. The nest is placed 

 upon the ground, concealed in a clump of trees, or under 

 some low, spreading bush, and is a mere depression in 

 the ground, lined with down and feathers, and near some 



