62 NOKTH AMERICAN DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 
Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.). Surf Scoter. 
Breeding range. This species breeds in northeastern Quebec (Point 
de Mont-), southern Labrador, and Newfoundland, north as far as 
Hudson Strait: it is a summer visitor to the cast coast of Greenland 
(Kangerajuk) and to the west coast as far north as Disco Bay, i>ut is 
not known to breed; accidental in northern Europe; breeds abundantly 
at Fort Churchill, Hudson Bay, at Great Slave Lake, probably at 
Athabaska Lake, and north to the Arctic coast, west to the mouth of 
the Mackenzie. It is a common breeder on the headwaters of the 
Yukon, and from Sitka north to Kotxcbue Sound. 'Hie species 
apparently is Lacking on the north coast of Alaska, but non breeding 
birds are abundant on the coast of northeastern Siberia. Nonbreeders 
are found also all through the summer on the Atlantic coast south to 
Long Island and on the Pacific coast to Lower California. 
Winter range. — The surf scoter remains around the Gulf of St. Law- 
rence until forced away by ice, and passes the winter from about the 
Bay of Fundy south to Florida. It is enormously abundant from 
Massachusetts to New Jersey, and still common to North Carolina; 
accidental in the Bermudas; it visits commonly the Great Lakes and 
extends south rarely to Louisiana (New Orleans. March 20. 1890), 
Illinois (opposite St. Louis, May 3, 1*7»'>), Kansas (Lawrence, 
October 29, 1887), Nebraska (Lincoln, October 7. L896; Omaha), 
Colorado (Loveland, October 31, 1899; Denver, October 22, L899), 
Wyoming (Douglas, October 11), 1893); on the Pacific coast from the 
Near Islands, and the Aleutians south to San Quentin Bay, Lower 
California. 
Spring migration. — Birds from the south occasionally return to 
Nova Scotia late in March, more commonly the first week in April, 
and reach their breeding grounds about the first week in May. 
Those that migrate through the interior are nearly three weeks later. 
The Alaskan breeding grounds are reached about the middle of May. 
Eggs have been taken at Fort Anderson June 25 and downy young 
near Fort Yukon June 23. 
Fall migration. — In 1900 stragglers appeared off the coasts of Mary- 
land and Virginia the last week in August, about three weeks earlier 
than usual. Tin 4 first fall migrants commonly arrive on the coast of 
Massachusetts and Long Island Sound the middle of September and 
are followed the second week m October by the main flight. 'File last 
leave the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the average November 7. Arrivals 
on the Great Lakes are rather later than in corresponding latitudes on 
the coast. A few surf scoters are seen on the California coast in July 
and August, though the mam body hardly appears before November. 
They leave St. Michael. Alaska, and the upper Mackenzie about the 
middle of October, 
