SCAUP DUCK 257 



Two adult birds banded at Ithaca, New York, in March, 1920, were trapped on December 10 and 

 18, 1920, at Union Springs and Levanna, respectively, in the same State (U.S. Biological Survey). 



From a careful perusal of the literature I should say that there is some evidence to show that in 

 Europe the Scaup has a more easterly migration in spring and a more westerly one in the autumn. 

 Throughout Russia, where it is a common migrant, it is far more abundant in spring _ 

 than in fall, while in many western European countries just the reverse is true. 

 There is also considerable evidence that the females and young of the species winter somewhat farther 

 south than the adult males. In the extreme west the spring migration is rather early. They leave the 

 British Isles from the end of March on, and may be seen in Iceland almost at the same time. In cen- 

 tral Europe most of the birds pass in March (in Russia in April and May), but do not reach the breed- 

 ing grounds in northern Finland before late May or early June. In the autumn the Scaup put in 

 an appearance very late. October and November are the usual months of arrival in the British 

 Isles, while in central Europe November is the more usual month. In Russia the autumn passage is 

 naturally somewhat earlier, most of the birds passing over late in September or during October. 



We know nothing of significance concerning the seasonal movements in Asia. A. T. von Midden- 

 dorff (1853) says they arrive on the Boganida on June 16, and Radde (1863) noted that . . 

 only young birds wintered on Lake Baikal. On Bering Island the Scaups began to ar- 

 rive about late April or early May, while in the autumn K. H. Jones (1911) noted immense flocks 

 near Wei-hai-wei, China, during the end of August, which seems a very early date indeed. 



GENERAL HABITS 



The name Scaup for this common, and often more or less despised duck has two 

 possible derivations. It may come from the term scaeps or scaups meaning shells or 

 beds of mussels suggestive of its food habits (Willughby and Ray, 1678; Swann, 

 1913). Another and quite as likely an explanation, favored by some good English 

 writers, connects the name with the hoarse, croaking note common to the female. 

 However this may be, the term is an old one in England although very little used in 

 America. Here we call it the Broad-bill, Blue-bill or Big Blue-bill to distinguish it 

 from its smaller cousin the Lesser Scaup, or Little Blue-bill. 



The Scaups, although typical fuliguline ducks, represent a group standing some- 

 what apart from the Pochards. The shape of their bills is peculiar, very broad, short 

 and spatulate, and the down-color of the young is dark, almost black, easily dis- 

 tinguishing them from the young of the Pochard, Red-head, Canvas-back or Ring- 

 necked Duck. Then there is a point as to their plumage which I do not find com- 

 mented upon, but which distinguishes the Scaups at once from the true Pochards 

 and some other diving ducks. This is the pure white of the lower parts, even in the 

 first feather, so different from the gray, streaked appearance of the lower abdomen 

 in the immatures of most other species. The habits too are distinctive. The Scaup 

 is a salt-water bird, almost as much so as the Scoter tribe and he can feed in deeper 

 and rougher water than the Pochards and the White-eyes. Besides he is a more rug- 

 ged bird in every way, more like the Scoters and Eiders in this respect, and is capa- 

 ble of withstanding the most arctic weather. His distribution conforms more with 

 that of the far-northern sea ducks, than with that of other ducks of the genus. In 



