ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — (EDEMIA. 89 



CEdemia americana. 



THE AMERICAN BLACK SCOTEE. 



Anas nigra, WiLs. Am. Orii. VIII. 1814, 135, pi. 72 (not of Linn.). 



Oidcmia amcrica7ia, Sw. & Kicii. F. B. A. II. 1831, 450. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 807 ; Cat. N. 



Am. B. 1859, no. 604. 

 (Edemia americana, CouES, Key, 1872, 293 ; Check List, 1873, no. 516 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 737 ; B. 



N. W". 1874, 581. — EiDGw. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 630. 

 Fuligula (Oidemia) americana, Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 422. 

 Fuligula americana, AuD. Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 117, pi. 408 ; Synop. 1839, 290 ; B. Am. VL 1843, 



343, pL 403. 



Hab.. Coasts and larger inland waters of Northern North America, south to the Great 

 Lakes, New Jersey, and California. Mountains of Colorado (Boulder Co., June ! ; Mrs. M. A. 

 Maxwell). 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Entire plumage uniform deep black, the neck very faintly glossed 

 with dull violaceous, the feathers somewhat distinctly defined ; basal half of the maxilla, except a 



CE. americana. 



stripe along the tomium, bright orange (yellowish in the dried skin), the remainder of the bill 

 black ; iris hazel ; legs and feet dull black. " The bulging part of the upper mandible is bright 

 orange, paler above, that color extending to a little before the nostrils ; the rest of the upper man- 

 dible, including its basal margin to the breadth of from three to two twelfths of an inch, black, as 

 is the lower mandible. Iris brown. Feet brownish black " (Audubon). Adult female : AhowQ, 

 dull dark grayish brown, the feathers of the back and scapulars tipped with lighter ; lower parts 

 lighter, the pale tips broader, though lacking on the posterior portions ; lateral and lower parts of 

 the head and neck nearly uniform very pale grayish brown, ([uite abruptly defined against the 

 uniform dark brown of the pileuni and nape. Bill entirely black. Young: Upper parts, jugu- 

 lum, sides, and flanks, uniform dark grayish brown ; sides of head and neck, chin and throat, dirty 

 whitish, tinged with brownish gray, quite abruptly defined against the dark brown of the pileum 

 and nape ; abdomen whitish, each feather marked with a dusky grayish bi'own bar just beneath 

 the surface, some of these bars exposed ; anal region and crissiun grayish brown, the feathers tipped 

 with white. Bill and feet black. 

 VOL. H. — 12 



