LESSER SCAUP DUCK 285 



struction of eggs, especially in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Forbush (1912) de- 

 scribed a lynx attempting a stalk on a flock of these ducks in Florida. Major Allan 

 Brooks found that on the east coast of that State the Bald Eagle regularly fed upon 

 them and a good many must be taken by this bird wherever it is plentiful. 



Damage. I know of no damage to food crops of man, including shell-fish. Very 

 few edible mollusks appear to be taken. 



Food Value. Taken as a whole this is one of the poorest ducks for the table. 

 Nevertheless one may occasionally get young birds in October that are fat and not 

 at all "strong." Those from Currituck Sound might be considered fair, but the 

 Florida ones are very rank indeed, and the longer they stay there the poorer they 

 seem to become; poor in flavor and lean in flesh. On the Pacific coast they are in no 

 better favor and their price, $1.00 to $2.00 a dozen in the San Francisco markets, 

 gives an idea of the low esteem in which they were formerly held. In the Boston 

 markets they used to fetch a good deal more than that, from 30 to 40 cents a pair, 

 but that was when good ducks were bringing from $1.75 to $6.00 a pair. Audubon, 

 whose account of the Scaup fits the Little Blue-bill the best, thought them very poor 

 food, but there are not wanting some to give them praise. Elliot (1898), G. B. 

 Grinnell (1901) and one or two others consider them "very delicate," "tender," or 

 of "good flavor," so it is never safe to generalize. 



Hunt. The methods of taking the Lesser Scaup are just the same here on the 

 Atlantic coast as are used for the Red-head, Canvas-backs or Greater Scaup. When 

 they first appear the young birds of the year are very tame; indeed, almost as fool- 

 ish, sometimes, as Ruddy Ducks or Scoters. I have driven them about and shot 

 them from open canoes and have seen a flock "stool" to a bunch of jet-black Scoter 

 decoys anchored within easy range of a good-sized boat well off shore in salt water. 

 Let nobody think, however, that the ducks on their winter quarters behave in this 

 fashion. 



Little Blue-bills being sociable fowl, decoy readily, coming up prettily to the 

 wooden counterfeits and offering beautiful shots. Their bump of curiosity often 

 results in their untimely end. They will swim up to live Mallard decoys, sometimes 

 respond to a partly concealed flag or even try to investigate a mysterious noise. 

 They are not very likely to take alarm at a gun-shot, except at close range, until 

 their education has come on apace. I have even seen them refuse to fly after part of 

 their number was shot. Often, too, when shot at close range on the water, they first 

 try to escape by diving, coming up in a few seconds and taking to wing. It goes with- 

 out saying that they are tough little ducks to knock down and very hard to pick up 

 when wounded. 



