,3„ 3 " J Trumbull on the Scoters. I *1 ^ 



become less uniform, very decidedly lighter, and mateiiallv 

 different in other respe'cts, tending positively to tawny in some 

 cases, to gray in others, where neither tawny nor gray was 

 visihle before; and the light edging at the ends of the feathers 

 not only grows lighter, but is extended farther up upon the 

 feather. In most cases, the beginning of such changes is discov- 

 erable by close comparison, when a skin is no more than a month 

 old, and it is not too much to say that in a year's time very little 

 or none of the original color is left. These post-mortem devia- 

 tions seem to be more rapid and radical in such markedly 

 transitional phases as immature and moulting male C, and certain 

 pi u mages of pcrsplcillata of which I will speak at another time. 



Though the European and Asiatic White-winged Scoters 

 (fusca and stcjnegeri) are not "our" Scoters, a partial 

 description of them may be useful here. I have never seen 

 the foreign birds alive or in any degree fresh, but through 

 the courtesy of Mr. Ridgvvay I have been able to carefully 

 examine the skins representing them in the National Museum. 

 That collection, though pretty well supplied with specimens 

 of stejnegeri, unfortunately contains but five of fusca. 



I have compared our New England specimens of deglandi 

 with those taken in Alaska and find not the shadow of a 

 difference between them. 



The separation of the three species is thus far based almost 

 wholly on the shape of the bill and the distance between front 

 edge of feathering and nostrils. That fusca, deglandi and 

 stejnegeri are at least a good deal alike in size, plumage and 

 general proportions no one can doubt. 



I will first describe the bill oi fusca showing at the same time 

 wherein it is similar to or dissimilar from those of the American 

 and Asiatic species. When no mention is made of the female, my 

 notes may be regarded as referring wholly to the adult or nearly 

 adult male. 



Oidemia fusca. 



Distance between nostril and loral feathering considerably greater — at 

 nearest point — than in deglandi or stejnegeri (not so wide, however, as 

 length of nostril), this distinction applying also to the female. Maxilla 



