'lOA. Norton, A Note-vorthy Plumage of the American Eider. I July 



result of receiving another very similar to it, and two adult drakes 

 with black spots on the throat, located at the position of the 

 junction of the two lines which form the lancet or V when present. 



On cjuestioning several collectors who live on the Maine coast, 

 I was assured that they had quite often seen such marks in young 

 drakes. Upon the investigation of a large series of these drakes 

 in all stages of plumage, it was found that this feature is of irregu- 

 lar appearance, or, what is perhaps best understood, as an 

 occasional reversion to the characters of a progenitor from which 

 it sprung, in common with v-nigra. 



It may be stated of the birds having the black figure, that, aside 

 from the presence of that mark, their only departures from the 

 typical adult male of their species, are fully shown to be coincident 

 with stages of immaturity, and that they show nothing that can be 

 considered as of a hybridic nature. 



Description of Specimens having Black Alarks on Throat. 



No. 342. Coll. A. H. N. ; Penobscot Bay, Me., winter, 1S91. Somateria 

 drcsseri, male, nearly mature. Differing from adult male in having a 

 few duskv tipped lesser wing-coverts; dusky tips to falcate tertials; 

 frontal processes but .9 mm. wide near apex. Differing from the normal 

 drake in having a dusky V or lancet on the throat, 46 mm. long. This 

 specimen is matched in a normal young drake preserved in the same 

 collection. 



No. 439, Coll. A. H. N. ; Penobscot Bay, Me., Dec, 1S93. 5. dresseri, 

 male, nearlv mature. Similar to the last, except in having more dusky 

 tipped lesser coverts, falcate tertials tipped with a deeper shade of dusky^ 

 and frontal process 12 mm. wide. It differs from the normal drake in 

 having a dusky lancet .38 mm. long, on the throat. 



No. 340, Coll. A. H. N. ; Penobscot Bay, Me., Mar. 20, 1891. 5. dresseri^ 

 male, perfectly mature. No dusky in white of the wing ; frontal process 

 14 mm. wide near apex. Differs from normal drakes in the presence of 

 a dusky spot, 10 mm. long, on the throat. 



No. 341, Coll. A. II. N. ; Penobscot Bay, Me., winter, 1S91. 5. dresseri' 

 adult male in high (winter) plumage. Frontal processes 144 mm. wide 

 near apex. Normal except in the presence of a black spot 13 mm. long at 

 the position of the apex of the lancet. 



