1 68 Trumbull on the Scoters. [April 



Oidemia deglandi. 



Frontal feathering- — in most cases — reaching farther forward than the 

 loral feathering. Sometimes the two extensions are equal, and some- 

 times (I have only observed it in the case of two young females) the 

 loral feathering is advanced the merest trifle farther than the frontal. 

 The frontal feathering generally terminates (sometimes acutely, some- 

 times obtusely) nearly on a line with the posterior edge of the nostril, 

 sometimes reaching beyond, sometimes falling short. 1 



Speculum, composed of secondaries and ends of greater coverts, white. 

 In immature birds the black (of the male) or brown (of the female) 

 infringes a little at either end of the snowy area, showing also on the tips 

 of the greater coverts, and narrowly at the ends of the secondaries; but 

 in all the plumages of both the sexes this speculum is very conspicuously 

 large and white. Its dimensions, while the wing is fully spread, are 

 about as follows: length 5.50 to 6.50 inches; width at one end (by the 

 primaries) 2.75, at the other end (by tertiaries) 1.75 to 2.00. 



Under surface of -wing : a mixture, varying considerably according to 

 age: in the male, from brown, gray and white (young), to black, brown, 

 gray and white (adult) ; in the female, brown, gray and white. 



Eyes: those of all the females, and of the young males designated by 

 letters A, B and C, deep brown. 



Feet: outer and inner sides differing about as follows : in adult male, 

 outer side of tarsus and outer side of outer toe one color; inner side of 

 tarsus, inner side of all four toes and outer side of inner toe another color ; 

 both colors showing on outer side of middle toe. In nearly adult male : 

 outer side of middle toe showing only outer color of tarsus; this color 

 also showing more or less on outer side of inner toe. Though there are 

 similar variations in the younger males and in the females, they are too 

 faintly marked for comment. These colors of the feet are always, in both 

 sexes, old and young, more or less broadly obscured at joints and else- 

 where by black or blackish shading; the outer side of the hind toe (or 

 outer side of its flap) almost or quite uniformly black or blackish. Webs 

 uniform black. In the adult male the black of webs and shading of feet, 

 inky black; in the female and young male, less intense or dull black. 



Dimensions. — Male: length 21.00-22.75 inches; extent 37.25-41.50; 

 wing 10.8S-12.12. Female: length 19.62-20-75; extent 35. 8S-37. 88; wing 

 10.62-11.12. 



1 Former accounts are not wholly in accord about these extensions. I copy some 

 of the characters attributed to the sub-genus Melanitta (or Melanetta) in which this 

 species is placed. One authority says : "Feathers of side of bill extending obliquely 

 forward from the angle of the mouth as far as those above." On another page of the 

 work cited we read that the feathering extends "nearly as far forward on the side of 

 the bill as above." Another and later author says: "Feathering of head advancing 

 much farther forward on lores than on forehead" ; but he gives us a drawing of the 

 bill in which the frontal feathers are considerably in advance of the loral. 



