1889, October 3. Oidemia americana. Lake Umbagog. The big flock (discovered in the lake this morning by Jim) was composed almost entirely of adult male American Scoters with a few females and one or two Surf Scoters. They presented a superb appearance on the water, a shining black mass dotted all over with spots of gleaming gold. They were very active and playful at times. At others they merely drifted in a compact line looking exactly like a black log. They rose at frequent intervals and mounting high in air circled and wheeled for many minutes at a time, flying miles before realighting, and uttering their wild, jingling chorus of "sleigh-bell" cries. They flew in various orders, sometimes in a V, sometimes in a long line either parallel with or at right angles to their course. At times they "bunched" closely together when we could distinctly and frequently hear the crowded wings strike one another, making a noise like a paddle dropped lightly on the water. When they set their wings and descended towards the lake they made a sound like a gale of wind blowing through the woods or perhaps more like escaping steam. This was distinctly audible a mile away. On the water they frequently executed a sort of revolving dance, the whole flock swimming rapidly in a circle, each bird using his paddles so vigorously as to keep most of his body above the surface. This performance made a plashing sound like heavy rain on a still pond. During it they did not use their wings at all. Occasionally but rarely a single bird would rise on end and flap his wings like a Loon. Almost incessantly one or more birds 64