RING-NECKED DUCK 185 



Roberts, 1919), in southern and eastern Wisconsin (Kumlien and Hollister, 1903; Goss, 1891), and at 

 Clear Lake, northern Iowa (Cooke, 1906). In western Nebraska, too, it presumably nests, for it is 

 found generally distributed there in summer (Brunei - , Wolcott and Swenk, 1905; Oberholser, 1920). 

 On the Atlantic coast this species is said by Boardman (1871) to have bred at Calais, Maine, but I 

 doubt the statements of this observer. He also asserts (1903) that it breeds not uncommonly in New 

 Brunswick. There are casual records of occurrence in summer at Amesbury, Massa- Sporadic 

 chusetts; Concord, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; and at Quebec. Schmitt (1904) summer 

 reports a specimen shot on Anticosti Island on May 22, 1892, and Comeau (1909) took 0Ccurrence S 

 two specimens in spring at Godbout on the north shore of the St. Lawrence basin. It has even 

 been reported in summer from Rock Springs, Texas, by a member of our U.S. Biological Survey. 



Winter Range 



In winter a few Ring-necks are found as far north as Okanagan, British Columbia (Brooks, fide Ker- 

 mode, 1904), and Puget Sound (Rathbun, 1915). J. C. Merrill (1888) says it is common during the 

 cold season at Fort Klamath, Oregon, and Woodcock (1902) has recorded it from Salem British 

 in the same State. In California it is rather rare, occurring chiefly in the west-central Columbia 

 and southern parts, and up to 1918 there were only about 15 records (Grinnell, Bryant Western 

 and Storer, 1918). There are only eight skins in the University of California collec- United 

 tion. A few are said to winter at Pyramid Lake, Nevada (Ridgway, fide Hoffman, States 

 1881), and it has been taken at Sacaton, Arizona, in February (Gilman, 1914). Possibly a few stay 

 in New Mexico, too, for in southwestern Texas, and even at San Antonio, it is a common Louisiana 

 bird in winter (Dresser, 1866; W. Lloyd, 1887; Strecker, 1912; Griscom, 1920). Louisi- and 

 ana is probably one of the chief centers of abundance in winter; the Ring-neck is very _. .: ™ 

 plentiful there (McEhenny, 1897; Beyer, Allison and Kopman, 1907; etc.). A consid- 

 erable number probably stay in the Mississippi Valley, in Arkansas (Howell, 1911), southern Illinois 

 (Ridgway, 1895), and even in Iowa (R. M. Anderson, 1907). 



It is very abundant along the Gulf Coast as far as Florida. F. M. Chapman (1888) speaks of it as 

 the commonest duck at Gainesville, and R. W. Williams (1904) says the same of Williams County. 

 Griscom (1916) met with it at Tallahassee and Scott (1892) at Caloosahatchie. Dr. _, „ _ 

 T. S. Palmer tells me that he has seen thousands on Lake Okeechobee. Farther north on 

 the Atlantic side it becomes a rare bird or at least it was until three or four years ago (see under 

 Status). A few are found in Georgia (U.S. Biological Survey), in South Carolina (Wayne, 1910) and 

 in North Carolina (T. G. Pearson, C. S. and H. H. Brimley, 1919), perhaps even on the Atlantic 

 Potomac (Rives, 1890). Beyond this it is hardly more than accidental. There are a Coast 

 few winter records for Connecticut (Sage, Bishop and Bliss, 1913; Bishop, 1921) and I shot only three 

 autumn specimens on Wenham Lake, Massachusetts, during twenty years' shooting. But in the last 

 four years they have become commoner. Other New England records are very few and scattering, 

 and the farther east one goes along the coast the rarer they become. 



Off the coast this species has been taken on New Providence in the Bahamas (Riley, 1905). 

 H. Bryant (1859) describes it as common in the Bahamas. According toGundlach (1875) it is one of 

 the commonest winter ducks in Cuba, a statement which is certainly open to doubt, West 

 though Dr. Barbour tells me that he saw it regularly in the Havana Market, but in far Indies 

 smaller numbers than the Lesser Scaup. In Jamaica it is very rare at best (March, 1864; Bangs and 

 Kennard, 1920). There are only two records of its occurrence on Porto Rico (Gundlach, 1878). 



In Mexico the Ring-neck has been taken at the south end of Lower California (Belding, 1883) and 

 at Mazatlan (G. N. Lawrence, 1874), as well as in Chihuahua (Kennedy, fide Baird, Brewer and Ridg- 

 way, 1884). Specimens have also been recorded from the Rio de Coahuayana, Lake Mexico 

 Patzcuaro, Jalapa, Lake Chapulco (Puebla) and Oaxaca {fide Salvin and Godman, 1897- 

 1904). Villada (1891-92) has also reported it from the Valle de Mexico. The southern- Guatemala 



