70 Prof. E, Arrigoui Degli oddi on Anatidse 



common than the Gadwall and Ferruginous Duck, but it 

 appears every year in our lagoons and especially in the sea, 

 more frequently than the Common Sheld-duck and the 

 Goosander. It is seen in autumn and in winter. It begins to 

 arrive in October — the several specimens in my collection 

 were killed between October and January, — but Count 

 Contarini * says that individuals have been killed in April 

 and May. As a young bird the Velvet Scoter is not very 

 uncommon, but males in full plumage are rare, and I do not 

 possess a specimen of the latter in my collection. Count 

 Ninni calculated that in 1885 no less than fifty of these 

 birds were obtained in this country ; but if the calculation 

 was correct at that time it certainly is not now, and the 

 species has become much less frequent. 



9. CEdemia nigra. (Venetian name " Orcheto marin.") 

 Count Ninni f did not hesitate to say that the Common 

 Scoter is a rare bird in the Venetian province, and in fact 

 it appears very seldom and quite as a straggler among us. 

 It has been seen in winter between October and April. 

 Count Contarini says J that individuals have been killed in 

 May, but there is no proof that this assertion is correct. 

 Count Ninni procured two in 1884 [in lift.), and probably 

 the head in his collection belonged to one of them. After 

 that date an adult male in full breeding-plumage was killed 

 on the Lago di Garda near Pacengo on April 7th, 1888 ; 

 this was stuflFed by V. Dal Nero and is now in the possession 

 of Count Fratta at Lasiza. 



In 1885 G. Minotto killed three specimens in November 

 on our lagoons, two of which, a young male and an adult 

 female, came into my possession ; the third — a young bird — 

 is in the Museo Scarpa at Treviso. Three other specimens 

 were seen between the 14th and 22nd of October of the 

 same year in the lagoons at " Sette Morti " and in the sea 

 near S. Elisabetta de Lido, but it was not possible to get near 



* ' Venezia e le sue lagune,' vol. ii. p. 222 (1847). 

 t Prov. d. Venezia, Monogr. st. econ. anim., etc. del Conte Sormani 

 Moretti, Venezia, 1880-81. 

 X L. c. p. 196. 



