230 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



black. Iris white. $ Brown, with a dull white patch before 

 and l)eliind eye, frontal feathers terminating square ; wing with 

 a white liar. Bill dusky slate. Legs dull red. Iris brown. 

 Wing (^ 265-288, $ 260-273. Tarsus 45-50. Bill (^ 44-4^5, 

 ? 40-46. 



Breeds. — Norway to Finmark, Finland, Lapland, Sweden, 

 Oland, Gothland, N. Russia south to Pinsk Marshes and 

 Simbirsk Govt., Nova Zembla, Kolguev, Waigatz ; and in 

 Siberia east to Yenisei, Wanders south in autumn and winter ; 

 occurs on passage in C. Russia, and in winter British Isles and 

 Continental Europe from 64° in Norway to Spain, Italy, Black 

 Sea, Asia Minor and S. Caspian ; not common in Mediterranean, 

 rare N.W. Africa ; occasional in Faroes, rare in Greenland. 



Oidemia perspicillata (L.). Surf Scoter. 



(J Black ; a patch on crown and one on nape white ; tail 

 14 feathers ; ist primary about f length of coverts, 2nd primary 

 slightly emarginate on inner web and about equal to third. Iris 

 white. Bill orange red above, base swollen and black, nail 

 yellow, below flesh coloured. Legs and feet pinkish red, webs 

 black. $ resembles $ "fusca" but without wing bar; behind 

 ear coverts and on lores dull white spots, frontal feathers terminate 

 in a point. Bill greenish black. . Legs and feet orange, webs 

 blackish. Iris as in $. Wing $ 240-256, $ 223-235. Tarsus 

 40-43. Bill $ 34-37, ? 35-38 (W.). 



Breeds. — Arctic N. America from Alaska to Hudson Bay and 

 Greenland (Disco). Occurs occasionally in N.W. Europe from 

 Lapland and Finland to France. Casual in British Isles. 



HiSTRIONICUS. 



Bill much shorter than head or tarsus, narrow, tapering 



to tip; nail occupying tip and extending far back, border 



ill-defined; tail 14 feathers, graduated and pointed. 



Histrionicus histrionicus histrionicus (L.). Harle- 

 quin Duck. Fr, Canard histrion ; Gcr. Kragenente ; Ital. 

 Moretta arlecchino ; Swed. Stromand. 



(J Slaty blue ; patch on lores, spot on ear coverts, patch on 

 neck, and narrow collar white ; cinnamon streak from forehead 



