LONG-TAILED DUCK 355 



winter at Gensan, Korea, and in Awomori Bay in northern Japan. It has frequently been obtained 

 in Shimosa Province near Tokyo, this being the southernmost limit in Japan. It is said to be common 

 on Yezo and the Kuriles (Whitely, 1867; Seebohm, 1890; Hatta and Murata, 1905-06), as well as on 

 the Commander Islands (Stejneger, 1885; Bianchi, 1909; Hartert, 1920) and presum- Arctic 

 ably on the Kamchatkan coasts. Thayer and Bangs (1914) have recorded a few found Siberia 

 wintering on the Arctic coast on Diomede Island. 



Migration 



As might be expected of so hardy a bird, it is a very early migrant in spring, passing north with the 

 opening of the ice. Most have left the winter quarters by the end of April and arrive on the breeding 

 grounds in May and June. Still, a good many stay late, even well into May along the North Atlantic 

 coast and late May along the Athabasca River. Possibly these are destined for far-northern lands. 

 In the autumn they disappear from the nesting areas in September and put in a first appearance on 

 the wintering grounds by mid-October increasing until the end of November. It is astonishing how 

 long they will stay north on occasion. Specimens have been taken as late as December 9 at Point 

 Barrow (Murdoch, 1885), as late as December 7 on Jan Mayen (F. Fischer and von Pelzeln, 1886) 

 and during the whole winter on Diomede Island (Thayer and Bangs, 1914). 



The migration is very commonly overland both in spring and in autumn mostly by way of great 

 lake systems. Thus the Long-tails that breed on the Arctic coasts of North America come down the 

 MacKenzie basin and along the great Canadian lakes to our own Great Lakes. They are common 

 migrants there in the spring. Others pass over Keewatin. There is some evidence that they may cut 

 overland as Brant do, across the isthmus of the Labrador peninsula for the great bodies are not seen 

 beyond a certain point (Moisie) on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (C. W. Townsend, 

 1910a, p. 52). In Europe there is quite a distinct movement down the Rhine to the lakes of Switzer- 

 land, and stragglers in the interior are usually found on the large rivers. In Finland, too, the species 

 seems to come south through the interior, and in Russia the migration from the Arctic coasts to the 

 Caspian is along the great rivers. 



As with many of the northern diving ducks, the females, and especially the young, migrate earlier 

 than the adult males. In southern Europe at least, adult males are almost never taken, and in 

 British waters old males are found apart from females and young. We can say with certainty that 

 the autumn and winter distribution of the sexes is very different, although it is not certain that males 

 always remain farther north during the winter. 



In thirty-five years of shooting records at Cohasset, Massachusetts (B. P. Clark, MS.), the average 

 time of first appearance is October 8 to 9 and this arrival is rather regular. October 4, 5 and 6 are the 

 first dates that occur many times. There are four September records and one in August (perhaps 

 merely a local summering bird). The latest first appearance was in 1887 when the species was not seen 

 until October 22. 



The first autumn records at Holkham Bay, southeastern Alaska, were September 25 and 26 (A. M. 

 Bailey, MS.) and they remained abundant in that region until April 1. 



GENERAL HABITS 



So familiar is this handsome duck to the winter shore-shooters and naturalists who 

 frequent the waters of any northern coasts, that it is scarcely necessary to deal with 

 its habits at great length. So lively, clamorous and showy a bird is sure to draw at- 

 tention to itself, hence it has been much written about. All winter long it enlivens 

 our dreary coast, bravely riding out the stoutest gales, often preferring the open sea 

 when sheltered bays are near at hand. Then in the spring it rushes up to the Arctic 



