308 ANATIDJ3. 



given was taken from a beautiful specimen in the possession 

 of Mr. John Leadbeater. 



It is stated of this species that it flies in flocks, and never 

 enters the mouths of rivers. Its food is marine insects, 

 with mollusca, naked and testaceous. 



It will be observed that some of the English authors 

 quoted under the figure of the bird, have considered it a 

 Fuligula, and have arranged it among the Pochards, not, 

 however, without some doubts that this would probably 

 be found not to be its natural situation. The anatomy, 

 which I believe is as yet unknown, will at some future time 

 indicate the proper location ; but in its general character 

 and appearance, with its habit of breeding on high and 

 steep rocks, it appears to me to be more closely allied to 

 the Eider Duck, and I have accordingly placed it next in 

 succession to that species. 



In the adult male the bill is brownish-black ; the irides 

 pale brown ; round the eye a narrow ring of black ; be- 

 tween the beak and the eye, and on the occiput, a patch 

 of pale green ; head, cheeks, and part of the neck behind 

 white ; below the white on the neck there is a collar of 

 black, which ends in a broad stripe, passing the whole 

 length of the middle of the back and upper tail-coverts, 

 this latter portion tinged with raven blue ; the wing-pri- 

 maries and tail-feathers brown; the secondaries in part 

 white, with a steel blue outer web forming a rich specu- 

 lum ; the terminal portions white ; each tertial feather 

 white on the inner web, rich blue on the outer web, 

 and curved downwards towards the end; wing-coverts 

 white ; scapulars elongated, and, like the tertials, with 

 the narrow inner web white, the broader outer web rich 

 blue ; chin and throat rich brown ; below the broad 

 bluish-black collar is a narrow collar of white, the colour 

 extending over the sides of the neck to each wing ; just 



