SEA FOWL IN NOVA SCOTIA—GILPIN. 148 
to back of head. All below the eye, the cheeks, the chin, throat and sides of 
neck, for about four inches, may be called very pale fawn, as a back ground to 
numerous dark pencilled dots or lines. In the full nuptial plumage of the 
male, the border between this lighter neck and the deep brown of the breast 
becomes very distinct, indeed, with his pouting cheeks, swelling neck and 
tumid feathers, he looks as if he had an ashey white neck and head. The 
female and young are less distinctly marked. The bill is long and Jow, the 
frontal feathers coming down in a peak, the side feathers in a semi-circle.. The 
colour of the bill is greenish hern with the tips black and a subcircular nail on 
each tip. The lammella very fine in both mandibles; the nostrils high up. A 
line runs along the upper mandible from rictus to tip, and a second line above 
this, from the tip, passes it. The legs area dusky orange, with a red wash; 
the webs scarcely black; the soles dusky. The tarsi and toes are uninterrupt- 
edly scutellated on their front; on other parts, obscurely reticulated. 
Total leneth, 2 feet. 
Length of spread wings, 3 feet 3-10 inch. 
“of upper mandible, 23 inch. 
“ of tarsus, 2 inch. 
“of longest toe, 24 inch. 
Trides, dark brown. 
Tail feathers, 16 — 
In some young birds shot Ist August, 1880, and still in fine 
feather, the plumage was much darker than adult, and less di- 
versified by fawn or brownish edges to the feather. The other 
resident duck we have cannot be called abundant. Unlike the 
last sombre colored but still very beautiful bird, he is adorned 
by the most beautiful metalic tints of the tropics, and seems an 
alien upon our frozen streams. Of the wood ducks breeding 
here, I have had several specimens of the young, shot August 
17th, 1877, near Annapolis Royal, in their first plumage, and not 
having the white forked collar of the adult. The Indians all 
maintain he is found mid-winter about the rapids and low falls 
between our inland lakes, which never freeze. This has been 
confirmed by sportsmen, and also lumberers, who camp all winter 
beside these streams, yet he seems out of place, and I fancy not 
abundant or long to remain. I have never seen him in winter 
myself. Our next group of ducks, consisting of the Scaups. 
the Ringnecks, Canvasbacks, the Goldeneyes and Buffleheads, 
stand immediate between the freshwater and the sea ducks. 
They are at home equally in lake and ocean. They are expert 
divers but bad walkers, having the leg thrown far back. Their 
