32 
mainly in the far north, where, excepting the eiders, they 
are not much molested. They can usually keep well away 
from the shore, and can escape the gunner by diving and 
swimming under water, as well as by flight. Most of them 
are not highly esteemed as food, on account of their fishy 
flavor, and for these reasons they have on the whole main- 
tained their numbers better than any other ducks. One 
species, however, the ruddy duck, which habitually feeds in 
small ponds near the sea, has decreased very rapidly of late. 
They once bred in Massachusetts. Thirty years ago they 
were very common migrants; now they are seldom seen. 
In 1878 I found them abundant in Florida; in 1899 I did 
not see a single bird there, though it was a good season for 
ducks of all kinds. They are now the object of special per- 
secution, and have been for twenty years or more. Their 
price in the market has quadrupled. Unless something effect- 
ive is done for their protection, they are likely to follow the 
species already extirpated. The scoters or surf ducks, called 
coots by the gunners, although perhaps decreasing slightly, 
appear to be nearly as abundant as they have been within 
the memory of people now living. Mr. Gerry says they are 
nearly as plentiful as ever along the coast; Mr. Mackay has 
studied the sea birds, wild fowl and shore birds for many 
years. He has visited the Boston markets at least twice each 
week during the season, and carefully noted what birds were 
on sale there. He has spent much time on Hantucket and 
the adjacent islands, both in the shooting and breeding sea- 
sons. His opinion on this subject is therefore of great 
value. He says that surf ducks and eider ducks seem to hold 
their own about Hantucket. He believes the white-winged 
scoter has diminished very little. The American scoter he 
has never known to be plentiful, hut apparently it has de- 
creased to some extent. 
The old squaw is still very common. Mr. Mackay regards 
it as very abundant. The bufflehead is still common along 
the coast, hut has been driven out to some extent from many 
ponds and rivers in the interior, where it is not so common 
as formerly in the migrations. The golden-eye or whistler is 
still common on the coast. 
