ANATID.E THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 183 



Oidemia perspicillata7(Linn.) 



SURF SCOTIB. 



Popular synonyms. Surf Duck; Sea Duck; Skunk-bill; Skunk-head Coot;. Horse-head 

 Coot, or Horse-head; Hollow-billed Coot (New England); Gray Coot; Spectac'ed 

 Coot; Surf Coot (Long Island); Google-nose; Patch-head; Plaster-bill; , Snuff- 

 taker; Morocco-jaw; Blossom-bill, etc., etc.* 



Anas perspicillita LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 125; ed. 12, i, 1766, 201. WILS. Am. Orn. viii. 

 1821, 49. pi. 67. 

 Oidemia perspiciilata STEPHENS, Gen. Zool.'xii, pt. ii.1824, 21!i. Sw.'&llicn. F.:B.-A. ii, 



1831, 449. A. 0. U. Check List, 1886, No. 166. KIDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 113. 

 FuliQula (Oidemia) perspicillata BONAP. Synop. 1828, 389. NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 416. 

 CEdemia perspiciilata COUES, Key, 1872, 294; Check List. 1873, No. 518; 2d ed. 1882, No. 



739; B. N. W. 1874, 582. 

 Pelionetta perspiciilata REICH. Syst. Av. 1852, p. viii. BAIRD. B. N. Am. 1858, 8m'.; 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 602. RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 633. B. B. & R. 



Water B. N. Am. ii, 1881, 98. 

 Fuligula perspiciilata AUD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838/.161. pi. 317; Synop. 1839,289; B. Am. vi, 



1843, 337, pi. 402. 

 Pelionetta trowbridaii BAIRD, B. N. Am. 1858. 806; Cat. N.iAm. B. 1859, No. 603. 



CEdemia per spicillata, var. trowbridgii COUES, Key, 1872, 295; Check List, 1873, No. 518 a. 



(Edemia perspiciilata, b. trowbridgii COUES, B. N. W. 1874, 592. 



(Edemia per picillata trowbridgii COUES, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 740. 



HAB. Coasts and larger inland waters of northern North America; south in winter 

 to Atlantic coast of the United States, to the Ohio River, Kansas, etc., in the interior, and 

 Lower California, on the Pacific side; accidental in Europe. Jamaica (and other West 

 India islands?) in winter. 



SP. CHAK. Adult male: General color deep black, very intense above, more sooty 

 on the lower surface: a white patch on the forehead, the anterior outline Isemicircular 

 or somewhat angular, and reaching forward a little in advance of the ^lateral base of 

 the bill, the posterior ou'line almost directly transverse, and la little posterior to 

 the middle of the eye; nape with a somewhat shield-shaped, or cuneate, longitudinal 

 patch of pure white, having the upper outline almost directly transverse. Bill chiefly 

 orange-red, deeper (intense red in some specimens) above the nostrils; swollen base of 

 the maxilla with a large, irregularly roundish, somewhat quadrate, or trapezoid, spot 

 of deep black, with a light-colored space (bluish white in life) in front, as far as the nos- 

 trils; nails duller orango, or dingy grayish; iris yellowish white; feet orange-red, the 

 webs greenish dusky; claws black. "Upper mandible with a nearly square black patch 

 at The base, margined with orange, except in front, where there is a patch of bluish 

 white extending to near the nostrils, prominent part over the nostrils deep reddish orange, 

 becoming lighter toward the unguis, and shaded into rich yellow toward the margins: 

 the unguis dingy grayish yellow; lower mandible flesh-colored, uuguis darker. Iris 

 bright yellowish white. Tarsi and toes orange-red, with webs dusky, tinged with green; 

 claws black" (AUDUBON). Adult female: Pileum and nape brownish black; rest of the 

 head ashy brown, with an indistinct whitish patch (not always indicated) on the lower 

 anterior portion of the lores, bordering the lateral base of the bill; upper parts brownish 

 dusky, the contour feathers sometimes showing paler tips; lower parts grayish brown, 

 becoming nearly white on the abdomen, the feathers of the breast and sides tipped with 

 the same, the anal region and crissum uniform dusky. Bill greenish black, scarcely 

 swollen at the base, where the black spot of the male is slightly, if at all, indicated; iris 

 yellowish white: "feet yellowish orange, webs grayish dusky, claws black" (AUDUBON). 

 Young: Similar to the adult female, but head with two quite distinct whitish patches, 



*Cf. TBUMBULL, Names and Portraits of Birds. 



