AMERICAN SCAUP. 249 



obtained during a voyage to the Pacific and Behring's Straits, 

 performed in H.M.S. Blossom, under the command of Cap- 

 tain F. W. Beechey, appends the following remarks to his 

 notice of our Scaup Duck at page 31 : — 



" Several specimens of a bird nearly allied to this species, 

 if not the same, were brought home by the expedition. They 

 uniformly differ from the typical Fuligula marila in their 

 smaller size ; in the black colour on the breast being less in- 

 tense and defined ; in the undulating white markings being 

 less diffused over the scapulars and back, and being wanting 

 almost entirely on the wing-coverts. Dr. Richardson, whose 

 judgment on these points, and whose experience respecting 

 the birds of the Arctic regions, entitles him to every con- 

 fidence, is inclined to consider these birds but as a variety of 

 the European species. Following his opinion, I refrain from 

 describing them as separate. It is, however, to be observed, 

 that the true Fuligula marila is found in North America, 

 and there is less reason to believe the birds alluded to above 

 to be varieties resulting from climate or locality. Should the 

 species prove to be distinct, the specific name of mariloides, 

 which has been suggested by Dr. Richardson, would be ap- 

 propriate." 



I have not been able to find Dr. Richardson's suggestion 

 of the name mariloides, (Scaup-like,) except in the quotation 

 here made, and examination of more examples of the bird, 

 than the single one here figured, may be considered necessary 

 to decide that this Duck is distinct from the Scaup Duck. I 

 have, however, adopted the name provisionally. 



The bill is blue, equal in breadth throughout, the sides 

 being parallel ; the irides yellow ; head, cheeks, and upper 

 part of the neck all round rich Orleans plum-colour, but with 

 more of red than purple ; lower part of the neck, and upper 

 part of the breast, jet black ; all the back, scapulars, small 

 wing-coverts, and tertials, one uniform tint, produced by fine 

 black transverse lines on a ground colour of greyish-white ; 



