DUCKS 59 



ditchgrass (Ruppia maritima), coontail or hornwort (Cera- 

 tophyllum demersum), and on the tubers of the delta potato 

 (Sagittaria platyphylla), banana waterlily (Nymphaea mexi- 

 cana), and nutgrass or chufa (Cyperus esculenta).f Nuttall 

 states that it eats seeds and grain and is especially fond of 

 wheat.J 



SCAUP DUCK ; BULLHEAD ; BIG BLUEBILL : Ftdix 

 marila nearctica (Stejneger).** 



(State records. — The scaup occurs in winter in moderate 

 numbers in Mississippi Sound and probably also less fre- 

 quently on the interior waters of the State. In Grand Bay, 

 close to the Mississippi line, on November 16 and 17, I 

 secured 5 specimens from among the large flocks of lesser 

 scaups which were flying about the sound, and on January 

 3 and 6, 1916, W. L. Bryant secured 2 more near Bayou 

 Labatre. 



Avery says that this bird in 1890 was common on the War- 

 rior River, where it was a winter resident.*! In view of the 

 fact, however, that the lesser scaup is known to be much the 

 commoner bird throughout the State and that the only speci- 

 men collected by Dr. Avery proves to be of that species, it is 

 probable that he was mistaken as to the relative abundance of 

 the two species. 



General habits. — During the winter season this species 

 seems to be largely confined to the sea coast. There it asso- 

 ciates with the lesser scaup, from which it can not readily be 

 distinguished at a distance, and with which it shares the name 

 of "dos-gris." The head and neck in the adults are glossed 

 with green instead of purple, as in the lesser scaup. The 

 scaups feed in open water of moderate depth, diving easily to 

 the bottom for their food. 



Food habits. — ^Examination of seven stomachs of this 

 species collected in Mississippi Sound, showed the food to 

 consist of various species of snails and the stems, leaves, and 



tCf. McAtee, W. L., Bulla. 205 and 465, U. S. Dept Agr. 

 tNuttall, Thos., Mantial Omith., Water birds, p. 438, 1884. 



* 'Marila marila of the A. O. U. Check-list: for change of name see The Auk, rol. 

 38, p. 265, 1921 ; also 01)«rholser, Proc Indiana Acad. Sol., 1920, pp. 106-108, 1921. 

 'fAvery, W. C, Birds observed in Alabama : Amer. Field, vol. 34, p. S84, 1890. 



