343 



AMERICAN SCOTER DUCK. 



■^Fuligula Americana, Sivaiiis. 

 PLATE CCCCIIL— Male and Female. 



The American Scoter ranges along the whole coast of our Atlantic States, 

 in the latter part of autumn and during the winter, extending as far south- 

 ward as the mouths of the Mississippi, beyond which I have not observed it. 

 A few pairs breed on the shores of Labrador, but the great body of these 

 birds proceed farther north, although the limits of their migration in that 

 direction are as yet unknown. 



On the 11th of July, 1S33, a nest of this bird was found by my young 

 companions in Labrador. It was placed at the distance of about two yards 

 from the margin of a large fresh-water pond, about a mile from the shore of 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence, under a low fir, in the manner often adopted by 

 the Eider Duck, the nest of which it somewhat resembled, although it was 

 much smaller. It was composed externally of small sticks, moss, and 

 grasses, lined with down, in smaller quantity than that found in the nest of 

 the bird just mentioned, and mixed with feathers. The eggs, which were 

 ready to be hatched, were eight in number, two inches in length, an inch 

 and five-eighths in breadth, of an oval form, smooth, and of a uniform pale 

 yellowish colour. I afterwards found a female with seven young ones, of 

 which she took such effectual care that none of them fell into our hands. 

 On several occasions, when they were fatigued by diving, she received them 

 all on her back, and swimming deeply, though very fast, took them to the 

 shore, where the little things lay close among the tall grass and low tangled 

 bushes. In this species, as in others, the male forsakes the female as soon as 

 incubation commences. 



This bird usually flies low over the water, although its flight is swift and 

 well sustained. On land it moves more awkwardly than the Eider Duck, 

 but in diving it is perhaps superior to that species. During their stay along 

 our shores, they congregate in vast multitudes, and being often shot on wing 

 in numbers, are sold in all the markets of our maritime cities; but their flesh 

 is very dark and has a strong fishy flavour, so as to be very unsavoury. It 

 sometimes happens that during violent gales the Scoter is forced into fresh- 

 water rivers, from which, however, it returns to the salt bays, inlets, or outer 



