385 



MELANETTA VELVETINA (Baird). 



THE VELVET SCOTER. 



Specific Character. — Adult male — Base of the culmen elevated into ^a- 

 prominent knob ; lateral base of the maxilla sunken beneath the feathering of the 

 lores. Plumage uniform brownish black. A creseentic spot beneath the eye and 

 extending backwards for half an inch or more, secondaries, and greater wing 

 coverts white. Knob of the bill with base, and margin of the maxilla, black ; 

 sides of the bill red lead fading into orange ; nail vermilion ; the anterior flat 

 portion of the upper mandible whitish ; iris, white tinged with straw yellow ;. 

 legs scarlet with black webs, and a tinge of black on the joints. 



Female. — Uniform grayish fuliginous, the wings darker ; white speculum as^ 

 in the male, but no white about the head, or with faint indication of white spot 

 at the base of the maxilla and behind the eye. 



Total length 19.75 to 22.50 inches; extent 36.00 to 40.00 ; wing 10.75 ; com- 

 missure 2.82 ; tarsus 2.08, 



Habitat. — Northern North America, chiefly maritime, but occurring also in 

 various inland waters; south in winter to the middle states, greater lakes, and 

 southern California. 



This duck is familiar in Ontario, occurring in large flocks on our great lakes 

 and rivers in the spring and autumn. In the spring they reach here about the 

 middle of April and after staying a couple of weeks go on to the north where they 

 breed. They return late in October and November. On the seacoast this bird 

 is much hunted, but its flesh is not good and must be bought only by those who 

 do not know what a good duck is. 



It nests on the ground and lays from 6 to 10 eggs of a pale cream colour. 



