1892.] Trumbull, Our Scoters. ICC 



ward in a scratchy fashion from the nostrils. I have found tiiis yellow 

 marking — though varying greatly in extent and continuity — on the bills 

 of all the females of this plumage which I have examined. I was inclined 

 to believe these birds young males — the bill of the female having been 

 always described as uniformly black or blackish — until they were opened 

 and their sex was determined. Feet warm olive brown with blackish 

 shading, or, to be more exact, olive brown shaded with black on the 

 inner side (or side of tarsus and toes next the other foot), and almost 

 solidly black on the outer side; webs also black. 



Young female in autumn* — Light part of head considerably lighter, 

 contrasting very strongly with the deep brown above, the throat almost 

 evenly pale buffer dull whitish: the lower plumage considerably lighter 

 than the upper parts and more gray, the lower surface of the body very 

 pale, approaching whitish, and faintly spotted with the brown or grayish 

 brown of the fore breast and posterior region. Feet as before; bill gray- 

 ish black. 



Toung male in autumn * — Like young female just described, but some- 

 what more whitish and more spotty below ; the bill showing no indication 

 of its future hump. 



Toung female in spring. — Younger at least than the more uniformly 

 brownish females to which the term 'adult' is attached, and more mature 

 than those described under the heading 'Young female in autumn.' 

 Lower surface of body with a great deal of white, and more boldly 

 spotted, with deeper and less grayish brown than the younger (male and 

 female) birds of autumn. Light part of head as in adult female. Bill 

 uniformly blackish, or generally so, sometimes showing a very little of the 

 older bird's yellow. I have noted the presence of this yellow on but two 

 of these young females, and in each case it was as a hardly noticeable 

 spot or speck above the nostrils. With these exceptions there was but 

 little variation among a large number shot April 12. 



The basal portion of the adult male's bill has been described as 

 "orange," "entirely orange," "orange yellow," "bright orange 

 (yellowish in the dried skin)," "yellow or orange," etc. It is 

 not surprising that the term 'orange' should have been employed, 

 as some of the color on the side of the hump is somewhat like the 

 color of some oranges ; but the most conspicuous part of the red- 

 dish color is too pure, too decided a red, to be so termed, and the 

 chief, most noticeable color of the bill (the light yellow part) has 

 not the least suggestion in it of an orange tint. So if we j^ermit 

 the term 'orange' (for this reddish color) to pass unchallenged, 

 the bill is still yellow rather than orange, and most surely it is 

 not "entirely orange," neither is it "orange yellow" nor "yellow 



*Described from early October specimens. 



