318 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
the neck. The upper parts, breast, wing-coverts, and central 
tail feathers, which latter are much elongated, are brown. 
The scapulars, secondaries, outer tail feathers, and under parts 
white. Bill at basal half and nail black, with pinkish band; 
legs and feet deep slate grey. In April, just previous to the 
breeding season, the white portions of the upper parts are 
changed, and become of various shades of brown or tawny. 
The female lacks the elongated tail feathers, is duller, and has 
the white portions brownish; in other respects she resembles the 
Drake and undergoes similar changes of plumage. Length, 
inclusive of tail, 25 in. ; without central tail feathers, about 
22 1n.; wing 8°8 in. 
COMMON SCOTER 
Fuligula nigra (Linneus) 
The Common Scoter is an autumn and winter visitor to the 
British Isles. A few pairs are found breeding very locally | 
in Scotland and Ireland. It inhabits also the whole of the. 
northern Palzarctic region. 
The adult male is glossy black, with the central ridge of 
the upper mandible deep yellow, based with a black pro- 
tuberance. The adult female is dingy brown. The young 
are similar to the adult female, but the under parts are mottled 
with whitish. Length 18-20 in. 
VELVET SCOTER 
Fuligula fusca (Linneus) 
This species is a fairly common autumn and winter migrant 
to the British Isles. It generally keeps well out to sea. 
It is a rather larger bird than the Common Scoter, and of 
a dense velvety black, with a small white spot behind each 
eye and a white bar across the wing. The adult male has 
the whole of the plumage black (glossed above and duller 
