SCAUP DUCK. 245 



inches and three-eighths in length, by one inch and five 

 eighths in breadtli. 



Mr. Charles Drosier, who gives, in the fourth volume of 

 the Naturalist, a brief sketch of a voyage across the North 

 and Baltic seas, says, that large flocks of Scaup Ducks were 

 seen streaming over the water, as the vessel entered the gulf 

 of Finland, in the month of August, and others were seen 

 on the shore. They are known to be common in Russia, 

 Siberia, and southwards to Germany ; and M. Temminck 

 mentions that they are abundant in Holland. In France, 

 they are mostly confined to the coast, and the Scaup Duck is 

 included among the birds of Switzerland and Italy. 



This species is common in North America, from the fur- 

 countries to the southern states of the Union, depending on 

 the season of the year. 



In the adult male the bill is pale blue ; in form, narrowest 

 at the base, dilated considerably towards the point, being 

 nearly one third wider ; the nail curved and black ; the 

 irides yellow ; the head and the neck all round, as Avell as 

 the upper part of the breast and back, black ; the cheeks and 

 sides of the neck glossed with rich green ; the rest of the 

 back and the scapulars spotted and striped with broadish 

 black lines, on a ground of white, with considerable intervals 

 between the lines ; the wing-coverts of much darker grey 

 than the back ; the wing-primaries brownish-black ; the se- 

 condaries white, forming the speculum, but tipped with 

 black ; tertials as dark a grey as the smaller wing-covcrts ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts black ; tail-feathers brownish- 

 black ; breast, sides below the wing, and the flanks pure 

 white ; the portion of the belly behind the legs marked with 

 greyish lines, on a ground of white ; under tail-coverts black ; 

 legs and toes bluish-black, the intervening membranes darker. 

 The whole length eighteen inches. From the carpal joint to 



