SCAUP POCHARD. J41 



condaries having short hlack tips, but with the 

 base white, forming a light bar ; lesser covers tra- 

 versed by white lines ; legs and feet bluish grey, 

 webs darker. Among the flocks of scaups that 

 frequent our coast, and among those brought to 

 market, there are always at least two-thirds of them 

 in brown plumage, considered as females and young 

 /aales, and the adult female is described as having 

 the head and neck deep umber-brown, the lower 

 parts of the neck and breast darker, the feathers 

 edged with yellowish brown ; belly and vent white ; 

 the upper parts brownish black, having the back 

 and mantle mottled with fine zigzag lines of white ; 

 the base of the bill is surrounded with a broad 

 white line. The above is nearly the description 

 of the female in winter, but we have not seen the 

 bird at the season of breeding. The young are simi- 

 lar, but vary in the depth or distinctness of the 

 markings. 



In our edition of "Wilson's North American Or- 

 nithology, we stated onr suspicions that the Ame- 

 rican birds, or at least a portion of them, were 

 distinct from those of this country. There was a 

 considerable difference in the size, and we consi- 

 dered that the pencilling on the back and sides was 

 more minute or (Jelicate. Mr. Vigors, in the Zoology 

 of the Blossom, experiences the same difficulty in se- 

 parating the birds of that expedition from European 

 species ; but considered, if they should ultimately 

 be made out distinct, that the American bird might 

 bear the title of F. mariloides. The Prince of Ca- 



