COMMON SCOTER. 



323 



In the female all the upper surface of the body is of a 

 uniform blackish-brown, the margins of the wing-coverts 

 a little lighter ; cheeks, and sides of the neck paler brown ; 

 lower part of the neck, the breast, abdomen, vent, and 

 under tail- coverts, dark brown; legs and toes brown, 

 tinged with green: the interdigital membrane almost 

 black. Young birds of the year at the approach of their 

 first winter, have the cheeks, chin, sides and front of the 

 neck, dull greyish-white, and the under surface of the 

 body mottled with white and brown. 



The trachea of the male Scoter differs from that of the 

 male -of any other species among the Ducks, in having no 

 bony enlargement ; and differs from that of the female 

 only in having the principal tube as well as the bronchial 

 tubes rather larger. A portion of both is figured below. 



Y 2 



