1899.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 471 



September 17 (1) and September 23 (5) are in full molting 

 plumage : belly and wings as in nuptial dress, head and neck dull 

 brown, streaked Avith black, and with indistinct lighter areas on 

 the head; breast mottled, feathers generally white in the centre, 

 black at the tip and barred with brown ; some are all brown and 

 some all white, scapulars blackish or brownish varied with white. 

 In all six specimens the flight feathers have been molted and the 

 new ones are about half grown. The last specimen of this inter- 

 esting series was taken October 6 ; it shows a full grown set of new 

 flight feathers while the new winter plumage is supplanting the 

 temporary molting plumage and the remains of the nuptial dress. 



The breast plumage is almost completely renewed but is stiU 

 flecked with brownish feathers, while the new green feathers of the 

 head may be seen just bursting from the pin-feather sheaths, though 

 still concealed by the brown feathers of the molting plumage. 

 Arotonetta fisclieri (Brandt). Spectacled Eider. 



Males in nuptial plumage were obtained as late as July 27, 

 while one specimen, taken September 17, represents the molting 

 plumage. No similar bird has, I believe, ever been described. 



The new flight feathers are nearly fuU grown; the head and 

 neck are gray, streaked with black, front and cheeks whitish, eye 

 area gray, centre of throat white, more or less brown, barred 

 feathers on the breast, back and scapulars largely gray. 

 Eniconetta stelleri (Pall). Steller's Duck. 



Adult males in nuptial plumage were secured by ]Mr. ]McIlhenny 

 up to July 2, but none after that date. Fortunately a specimen 

 secured by Dr. Benj. Sharp, at St. Lawrence Island, July 24, 

 1895, No. 34,520, Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci., supplies the desired 

 plumage for this species. It is as follows : 



Belly, back and wings as in the nuptial plumage, entire head and 

 neck dull brown, with a few of the green and white feathers still 

 unshed, plumage of breast very ragged in appearance with new 

 brownish feathers everywhere replacing those of the nuptial dress. 



As would be supposed from the condition of the plumage the 

 flight feathers have not yet been shed. 

 Merganser serrator (L). Red-breasted Merganser. 



Two males secured July 27 at Pt. Barrow are acquiring the 

 molting plumage, the first instance I have seen of the existence of 

 this plumage among the Mergansers. 



