226 
1868 . 
1869. 
Get. 9. 
“ 14. |; 
“ 19. 
Erisraatura rubida 
Middlesex County, Mass 
Saw two on Smith’s Pond, Arlington. 
Shot an adult male to-day, the last of the season. 
Saw to-day, on Fresh Pond, swimming in an opening 
in the iee a small Duck, which as far as I could make 
oiit through my glass, was a young bird of this species. 
Observ ations! The Rudy Ducks have been veryabun— 
dant on Fresh Pond this autumn but scarce on Spy 
and Smith’s Ponds where they usually shoot large 
numbers of them. In the first part of the season 
they v/ere tame and unsuspicious, but those that came 
later wore shy. When a flock comes into the pond, 
if they are fired at from a distance and missed, 
they generally leave at once, but if one or more 
are killed the survivors remain in the pond during 
the remainder of the day. They rise with difficul¬ 
ty, ov/ing to the small size of their wings, but 
when fairly underway fly with wonderful swiftness, 
skimming along close to the surface of the water and 
seldom circling before alighting as many Ducks are 
wont to do, although when very shy I have occasion¬ 
ally seen them circle about high in the air for 
sometime, and afterwards descend to the water again. 
When they strike the water they close their wings 
and the weight of their heavy bodies causes them to 
shoot over the surface for several yards. They sit 
rather low on the water and swim with extreme rapid¬ 
ity, indded it is very hard to overtake them unless 
you have a light boat. 
When feeding, if two or three are together, 
one v/ill remain on the surface a few moments after 
the other has disappeared, in order to make sure 
that all is right, and then, lowering his head, he 
disappears with the quickness of thought. Upon 
shooting one that had Just come up from one of those 
dives I have frequently found its bill full of a 
species of fresh water shripm, about an inch and a 
half long, and of a bright scarlet color. They 
very seldom take to diving when pursued in a boat ur^- 
less they are wounded, although when a flock is 
scattered or when a single bird is hard pressed they 
will try diving. In a short time they will become 
very expert at it, showing only a small portion of 
the head above the surface. 
shot on Fresh Pond this morning. 
Saw a flock of about a dozen on Fresh Pond, 
on Fresh Pond this morning. 
!» 
