SMEW. 279 



numerous islunds, and there is reason to believe that it is 

 only an accidental straggler to the United States. 



In this country it is well known on the east, south, and 

 west coasts ; and Mr. W. Thompson mentions having seen 

 specimens from different parts of Ireland. East of our own 

 country the Smew is rather common in Holland and Ger- 

 many in winter, more rare in France, frequents also the lakes 

 of Switzerland ; and has been observed there as late as May ; 

 it visits also Provence and Italy. The Smew has been found 

 as far south as Tinos, in the Grecian Archipelago. Mr. 

 Strickland saw specimens at Smyrna in winter. The Zoo- 

 logical Society have received specimens, sent by Keith 

 Abbott, Esq. from Trebizond ; and the Russian naturalists 

 include it in the catalogue of Birds found in the country of 

 the Caucasus. Finally, M. Temminck remarks that speci- 

 mens received from Japan do not differ from those killed 

 in Europe. 



In the adult male the bill is one inch and a half long, and 

 of a bluish-lead colour, the nail horny and white ; the irides 

 reddish-brown ; at the base of the bill on each side a black 

 patch, which just surrounds the eye ; from the crown of the 

 head down the line of the occiput, another dark patch elon- 

 gated, which is tinged with green, the dark feathers mixed 

 with others that are white, and all somewhat elongated form- 

 ing a crest ; the other parts of the head, the chin, and all 

 the neck white ; the back black ; rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 and tail-feathers ash-grey ; the point of the wing greyish- 

 black, with two crescentic lines of black pointing forward, one 

 before and one behind the point of the wing ; the small 

 wing-coverts and scapulars white, the latter edged with black ; 

 great coverts and secondaries black, tipped with white, form- 

 ing two narrow white bands ; the primaries nearly black ; 

 tertials ash-grey passing to lead-grey, the inner feathers 

 being the darkest in colour ; all the under surface of the 



