AMERICAN . OTER. 209 



(ED EAT /A AMERICANA. 



Geographical Distribution. — Northern North America, from 

 the Arctic Ocean to California on the Pacific, and to the Great 

 Lakes in the interior (accidental in Missouri), and to New Jersey 

 on the Atlantic coast. Breeds from Labrador throughout the 

 Arctic regions, Aleutian Islands, and Islands of Behring Sea, and 

 is said to visit China and Japan. 



Adult Male. — Entire plumage, black, glossy on head, neck, 

 and upper parts. No speculum. Inner webs of primaries, gray- 

 ish. Bill, black on apical half, bright orange on basal half, in- 

 cluding the gibbous portion, or knob. Iris, deep brown. Legs 

 and feet, blackish. Total length, about 18 inches; wing, 8|; 

 culmen, including knob, if; tarsus, iy%. 



Adult Fejuale. — Front, crown, and nape, dark brown. Chin, 

 throat, and sides of head and neck, light grayish brown, speckled 

 with dusky. Upper parts, sooty brown, tips of feathers, lighter; 

 under parts, grayish brown; feathers on lower breast and abdo- 

 men, frequentl}^ tipped with grayish white. Bill of normal 

 shape, black, sometimes with yellow marks. Legs and feet, 

 olive brown; webs, black. Total length, about 18 inches; wing, 

 8-J-; culmen, \-^^\ tarsus, iy%. 



Young. — Resembles the female. Chin, throat, sides of head 

 and neck, brownish white. Under parts, whitish, with nebu- 

 lous spots of brown. Crissum, grayish brown; feathers, with 

 whitish tips, 



Doiuny Young. — Upper parts and breast, dark brown. Throat, 

 white. Abdomen, grayish brown. Bill, dark plumbeous. Legs 

 and feet, olive. 



