3i8 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



the neck. The upper parts, breast, wing-coverts, and central 

 tail feathers, which latter are much elongated, are brown. 

 The scapulars, secondaries, outer tail feathers, and under parts 

 white. Bill at basal half and nail black, with pinkish band ; 

 legs and feet deep slate grey. In April, just previous to the 

 breeding season, the white portions of the upper parts are 

 changed, and become of various shades of brown or tawny. 

 The female lacks the elongated tail feathers, is duller, and has 

 the white portions brownish ; in other respects she resembles the 

 Drake and undergoes similar changes of plumage. Length, 

 inclusive of tail, 25 in. ; without central tail feathers, about 

 22 in. ; wing 8*8 in. 



COMMON SCOTER 



Fzdigula nigra {Linncsus) 



The Common Scoter is an autumn and winter visitor to the 

 British Isles. A few pairs are found breeding very locally 

 in Scotland and Ireland. It inhabits also the whole of the 

 northern Palaearctic region. 



The adult male is glossy black, with the central ridge of 

 the upper mandible deep yellow, based with a black pro- 

 tuberance. The adult female is dingy brown. The young 

 are similar to the adult female, but the under parts are mottled 

 with whitish. Length 18-20 in. 



VELVET SCOTER 



Fiiligula fusca [Linnceus) 



This species is a fairly common autumn and winter migrant 

 to the British Isles. It generally keeps well out to sea. 



It is a rather larger bird than the Common Scoter, and of 

 a dense velvety black, with a small white spot behind each 

 eye and a white bar across the wing. The adult male has 

 the whole of the plumage black (glossed above and duller 



