236 



LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



Hab. The var. Smithsonianus, North America in general, more especially the Atlantic coast, 

 where extending from Labrador to Cuba ; breeding from Eastern Maine northward ; frequent 

 throughout the interior, on the larger inland waters, and occasional on the Pacific coast. True 

 L. argentatus, chiefly Palaearctic, but occasional, or casual, in Eastern North America, though 

 apparently the predominant, if not exclusive, form in the region of Cumberland Sound. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in summer: Mantle pale pearl-blue (a shade darker than in L. glaueescens), 

 the secondaries and tertials passing terminally into white. Outer primary black, more slaty basally, 

 the tip white, and a large white spot across the inner, and sometimes the outer, web ; next quill 



black, tipped with white, and 

 usually without any white except 

 the apical spot ; third, fourth, and 

 fifth quills similar, but the basal 

 half or more light pearl-gray (this 

 extending farther on the inner 

 web), the line of demarcation 

 sharply defined ; sixth quill light 

 pearl-gray, broadly tipped with 

 white, this preceded by a broad 

 subterminal space of black, widest 

 on the outer web ; seventh quill 

 similar, but the black much 

 more restricted, and confined to 

 the outer web ; remaining pri- 

 maries pale pearl-gray, passing 

 gradually into white at ends. Re- 

 mainder of the plumage snow- 

 white. Bill deep chrome or 

 wax-yellow, with a large spot of 

 bright red near the end of the 

 mandible ; eyelids bright yel- 

 low ; iris silvery white or pale 

 yellow ; legs and feet flesh-color, 

 claws brownish black. Adult, in winter: Similar, but head and neck, except underneath, streaked 

 with dusky grayish. Bill pale grayish yellow, deepest on anterior half of maxilla, and inclining 

 to flesh-color on basal portion of mandible, except along upper edge ; angle of mandible with a 

 large spot of dull orange-red, becoming dusky toward gonys ; iris dull light yellow ; eyelids dusky 

 yellowish ; legs and feet very pale grayish flesh-color. (Fresh colors of a specimen killed at Wash- 

 ington, D. C, Nov. 11, 1880.) Young, first plumage: Prevailing color brownish ash, nearly uni- 

 form below, tlie head and neck streaked witli white; upper parts variegated by borders to the 

 feathers and irregular spots of pale grayish buff ; primary coverts, remiges, and rectrices blackish 

 dusky. Bill dusky black, more brownish basally; iris brown; legs and feet purplish flesh-color 

 in life, brownish in the dried skin. Downy young: Grayish white, the lower parts (except throat) 

 immaculate; head marked with irregular spots of black, indefinitely distributed ; back, wings, and 

 rtimp clouded with dusky grayish. Bill black, the end yellowish ; feet brownish. 1 



The fresh colors of the European bird i British specimens) are given as follows by Macgillivray 

 ("Hist. Brit. B." V. 546, 551, 552); Adult male,in winter: "The bill is pure yellow, the lower 

 mandible witli an orange-red patch toward the end ; the edges of the eyelids yellow ; the iris pale 

 yellow ; the feet flesh-colored ; the claws brownish black." Young, in first winter: "The bill is 

 bluish black, the base of the lower mandible flesh-colored ; the iris brown ; the feet purplish flesh- 

 colored." After next moult : " The bill is dull yellow, with a dusky patch on each mandible, and a 

 little red on the lower ; the iris yellow ; the feet flesh-colored." 



Wing, 16.25-17.50 (average, 17.15) inches ; culmen, 1.95-2.50 (2.24) ; depth of bill through 

 angle, .70-.85 (.80) ; tarsus, 2.30-2.80 (2.57) ; middle toe, 1.85-2.25 (2.10). (Twelve adults.) 



1 " Bill brownish black, paler at the base of the lower mandible. Edges of eyelids greenish gray ; iris 

 hazel. Feet purplish flesh-color ; claws brownish black " (Audubon). 



