46 NORTH AMERICAN DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 



to Newfoundland, and once recorded on the eastern coast of Labrador. 

 Average dates of spring arrival are: Montreal, Canada, April 15 (ear- 

 liest April 7, 1893); Oberlin, Ohio, March 24 (earliest March 9, 1904); 

 central Indiana, March 17 (earliest March 1, 1892); northern Illinois, 

 March 23 (earliest March 6, 1894); southern Ontario, March 30; 

 southern Michigan, March 29; southern Wisconsin, March 13; central 

 Iowa, March 16; Heron Lake, Minn., April 2; southern Manitoba, 

 .April 16 (earliest March 31, 1892); in 1905 one was seen March 27 at 

 Indian Head, Saskatchewan, nearly a month earlier than usual. The 

 species was seen May 24, 1901, at Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, and 

 the first was noted May 24, 1904, at Fort Simpson. Its. arrival has 

 been noted at Fort Eeliance, Yukon, May 1; at St. Michael, Alaska, 

 May 8-10, and on the Kowak River, Alaska, June 1, 1899. 



In most seasons about Long Island the last week of March marks 

 the disappearance of the large flocks. Some years they remain duping 

 the first few days of April, and the last linger until about the 1st of 

 May. 



Eggs have been taken at Minneapolis, Minn., May 13; Oak Lake, 

 Manitoba, May 24, 1892; Kowak River, Alaska, June 14, 1899; St. 

 Michael, Alaska, end of May. 



Fall migration . — Soon after the first of October, flocks of 'broad- 

 bills ' begin to appear near Long Island and the numbers increase all 

 through this month. September 26 is the average date when the first 

 scaups arrive. Early arrivals, on the average, reach Alexandria, Va. , 

 October 18, and the species becomes common about the 1st of Novem- 

 ber. October is the month of arrival for this species throughout most 

 of its winter range in the United States, and the early part of this 

 month is the time of departure from the most northern breeding 

 grounds. The last leave St. Michael, Alaska, October 7 to 15. The 

 last leave Montreal, on the average, November 9 (latest November 14, 

 1896); the latest was seen at Heron Lake, Minn., November 27, 1885. 



Aythya affinis (Eyt.). Lesser Scaup Duck. 



Breeding range. — In the case of this species a distinction needs to be 

 drawn between the breeding range and the summer range. Quite a 

 number of nonbreeding individuals spend the summer many miles 

 south of the nesting grounds, so that the eggs or young are the only 

 certain evidence that the species breeds. These nonbreeding birds are 

 not rare on the New England coast, Long Island Sound, and the- Great 

 Lakes. The lesser scaup does not breed regularly in northeastern 

 United States nor in any of the Maritime Provinces; indeed, there is 

 scarcely a breeding record for the whole of North America east of 

 Hudson Bay and Lake Huron. The extreme easterly points at which 

 the species breeds are around Lake St. Clair and the western end of 

 Lake Erie in Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario; thence westward, a few 



