1888, 
September 30. 
Oidemia amerieana. 
Head of Lake Umbagog. 
I stop 20 Coots with the discharge of two barrels 
and bag 14 of them. 
At daybreak Luman saw two flocks of Sea Coots descend to 
the lake from the skies. After breakfast we brushed the boat and 
Luman paddled me to within forty yards of the larger flock which 
we found composed wholly of adult male Am.Black Scoters. They 
presented a superb appearance swimming slowly past our bows in 
broad long line about five or six Ducks abreast. Their yellow 
bills were very conspicuous. I shot number 4 into them on the 
water and B.B. as they rose. Fully 20 birds were left on -the 
water, about 7 dead, the others variously wounded. I kept on 
shooting at the wounded and chased several a mile or more. We 
■ secured in all 14. At 10 A.M. started for Lakeside. Lunched at 
foot of Great Island. Thence to Sargent's Cove where we found a 
flock of 8 Surf Scoters. I shot three of them and also a female 
Am.Scoter ... As we were going from the landing to the hotel in 
the twilight we heard and saw the big flock of'Am.Scoters circling 
overhead, 1000 ft.. or more high on their way to the sea. The com¬ 
bined clamor of their cries was exactly like sleigh bells. (The 
remarkable shot into the flock of Butter-billed Coots described a- 
bove was made with my 12 g. Fox gun weighing only 7 l/2 lbs.). 
jS 39 Lake Umbagog. 
October 16. Pin® Pflin i ) • 
Early this morning Jim shot a Scoter (0. amerieana ) which 
was’ swimming past our landing-. It was very thin and had a broken 
wing 
