the measurements here given and some other particulars
were derived. M. Vieillot says that- this species appears
sometimes on the coast of Picardy, and that it li^es on fishes
and testaceous mollusca, which are obtained by diving. Professor
Schinz mentions one killed in Switzerland, in April
1818* Messrs. Mejfr and Wolf include this Duck in thpir-
pocket volumes, of the Birds Germany; and Professor
Nilsson gives a coloured figure of the-male' in. his- illustrated
Fauna of Scandinavia, in consequence o f the- occurrence of
the apecies in that ^country. I t is only, however, on the
shores of high latitudes in North America, that Surf Scoters
in any quantity can be observed; andtt the ac co u n t^ ! Wilson
and Mr. Audubon musk: be referred -tp.' lop a knowledge ,of
their habits in localities where they aYe abundant*
Wilson says, “ this Duck'is-confined to the,shores and
bays of the sea, particularly where the ws^es| roll over, the
sandy beach* Their-food «onsets principally^.f small bivalve
shell-fish, spouPfish, and others that -lie in the- sand.near its
surface. For these they dive almost constantly, botlj^in tjie
sandy bays and amidst the tumbling surf. They seldom <pr
never visit-the salt-marshes. The^pohann^ef|ion-- our 'sharps
during thewinter, and leave us- ea$iy Hr May^^for-theix breeding
places in the North. Their skins arc remarkably^trong,
and their flesh coarse, tasting of fish.,=l Tkey-are in
winter along the whole coast, from-jther|ri®Ch^t./„Lawrence to
Florida^ This species was also found^OMAlantain Co$ls, at
Nootka Sound, ,on the north-west c o a s t^ A m ^ c p ^ j
Mr. Audubon’s account furnish e&.jnany interesting.'-parf
ticulars, and a portiouvbfrik is as,hollows :—“ While proceeding
towards-the,-sterile country? of 'Labradorean on
board the , Ripley, I-found the waters 6f<„;the. . Gulf .oL^f ?
Lawrence-alive with ducks of different, sp ecies„T h e n#ar|i
we~ approached the coast,, the more nunrer<tif$ did they,become;
and of the many-Mnds that presented themselves jto
OUr anxious gaze, the Surf Duck was certainly not the least
numerous. It is true that in the noble bays of our own
coast, in the Sound, between New York and the Hook, on
the broader waters of the Chesapeake, and beyond them to
the mouths of the Mississippi; I had seen thousands of Surf
Ducks ; but the numbers that passed the shores of Labrador,
bound for' the far north, exceeded all my previous conception^.*
For more than a week after we had anchored in the
lovely harbour, of^Lift-lse Macatina, I had been anxiously
Searching for^q^n-esfr/of this species,- but in vain. At
length I found that a* few-pairs had remained in the neighbourhood,^
and one morning, while in the company of Captain
Pinery, searching; for the nests of the Red-breasted Mergan-
'Se^|Jrvef-a vast obzy'and treacherous fresh-water marsh, I suddenly*
started a femalfe Surf Duck from her treasure. We
were^heiFabOut ■five1'miles > distant from! our harbour, from
whiek our^party ka’d coAev in two; boats, and fully five and a
half imrM'sfrom theVaters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence*.# The
marskwas about%hree milesrin-length. The nest was snugly
placed tall1 leaves fOlf a bunch of grass, and raised
fully- four in‘el^¥|riV©ye ' its roots.' It was entirely composed
'of• withered - and rotten weeds, the '; former being circularly
arranged^dve^fhle latter, producing a well rounded cavity, six
d n c l f e s b y r t Wo and a Half in depth. The borders
bf> this inner; cup WCteilmed1 with the down of the bird, in the
same manner i^ktthdAfiider Duck’s nest, and in it lay five
M M th^mallestwpumber I haverbver found in any duck’s
nesfa They- were > two * inches and- twO and a half eighths in
by bneSnch and five eighths in their greatest breadth;
m3reu#equalyj rounded^at boih ends than usual; the shell
perfectly-%mooth, and of a uniform pale yellowish, or cream
IdofOur. I took them on board along with the female, which
was shot as she rose from .tk^nest.; We saw no male bird
near the sp o t; but in the course of the same day met with
q 2 -