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LESSER SCAUP DUCKS (Uarila af- 

 finis) winter most abundantly in the in- 

 terior of the United States, while the last spe- 

 cies is the most commonly found on the 

 coasts during winter. They nest chiefly in 

 Arctic America, but casually south to Colo- 

 rado and Iowa, the nest being on the ground 

 in or close to marshes, as is usual with most 

 ducks. They appear in numbers in the 

 States late in fall and are, during winter, one 

 of our most. common species. A few of them 

 pass the severe weather just as far north as 

 open water can be found. They usually are 

 found in quite large flocks; and as several 

 flocks often unite and float about in the mid- 

 dle of lakes or ponds, they have become 

 known locally as "Raft Ducks." 



They dive in very deep water to pull up 

 grasses or pick up moUusks from the bottom. 

 Owing to their watermanship, wounded 

 Scaups are difficult birds to secure, for, other 

 means of escape failing, they wiU dive and 

 hang to grass at the bottom, drowning 

 themselves rather than be captured; first, 

 however, they will attempt to escape discov- 

 ery by immersing the body and leaving just 

 the bill protruding, a ruse that usually 

 works successfully. 



The females of the two Scaups are so 

 nearly alike that only the matter of size can 

 determine them with certainty. 



RING-NECKED DUCK {Marila collaris). This species, which is of the 

 same size as the last, is not apparently abimdant anywhere, but, during the 

 proper seasons, occurs throughout North America in small flocks or individ- 

 uals in company with Scaups. The name Ring-necked Duck is owing to the 

 narrow collar or band of chestnut feathers separating the purplish-black head 

 from the intense black of the breast and back. They are locally known as 

 "Ringbills," for the reason that the black biU has a bluish band across the 

 middle. The female is quite like that of the Scaup, but can always be distin- 

 guished by the prominent eye-ring. Notice, too, that the male has a tiny 

 white spot on the chin. 



LESSER SCAXJP DUCK 

 EING-NECKED DUCK ( ? , ^ ) 



IS 



