(3) Oidemia americana. 1889. Maine T. Umbagog. enough the birds seem to be shyer when first approached than af- terwards, even though they may be fired into at every attempt. Thus I have repeatedly got within less than thirty yards of a flock at a third attempt, after having fired at them as they rose at a distance of sixty or seventy yards and perhaps killed one or two during the first and second attempts. They show little alarm, but in fact do not apparently notice a boat until it is within about one hundred yards when they begin to swim rapidly, usually spread- ing out into a long line at right angles with their course. This is perhaps done to enable the end birds of the line to see past the brush or grass in the bows of the boat. If there is a wind blowing and the boat approaches them from windward as it should, they will usually try to swim past it on one side or the other so as to get a chance to rise up having to fly wind without coming to near it. They swim with great rapidity, turning their heads incessantly from side to side to look back over their shoulders. It is very easy to tell when they are about to fly, for a few birds, and sometimes the whole flock, stop swimming and stretch up their necks before unfolding their wings. For the first two or three yards they use their feet as well as their wings, striking the water with their broad webs as if running, and making a loud patterning sound. Once or twice we approached a large flock within gun-shot without alarming them, our boat of course being carefully concealed by grass. One such flock on October 3d composed almost entirely of adult males presented a superb appearance on the water,- a shining black mass, thickly spangled with spots of gold whenever they turned so that their bills were exposed to the sunlight. At times they were active and playful; at others they drifted in a compact line looking exactly like a black log. Every now and then they indulged in a sort of revolving dance, the whole flock swimming rapidly in a circle, each bird using his broad paddles so vigorously as to keep most of the body above the surface although the wings were not opened. This performance produced a plashing sound like a heavy shower of rain falling on a still pond. Occasionally a single bird in the flock would rise on end and flap his wings like a Loon. Almost incessantly one or more birds were going through a motion which seems to be peculiar to Scoters if not to this particular species. This motion is difficult to describe. The bird seems to raise the entire half or two thirds of the body out of water and lengthening the neck stretches it straight upwards, presenting nearly the appearance of a bottle floating with 69