I.oVG-TAtLKI) IIAUni.D. 177 



ashy, or yellowish-brown, or whitish, varied with large 

 spots of a deeper colour : the two middle tail-feathers 

 exceed the others rather more than an inch. 



The trachea of this bird is of a singular construc- 

 tion, and differs from that of the other Anatida? : it 

 rather increases in size at each extremity : at the 

 lower end, close to the labyrinth, one side is flat- 

 tened, and instead of the bony rings continuing 

 round of their full breadth, this part is crossed with 

 four distant linear bones as fine as a thread, which 

 support a delicate transparent membrane three quar- 

 ters of an inch in length, and almost three-eighths of 

 an inch broad at the base : below this ribbed mem- 

 brane projects the bony part of the labyrinth, with a 

 tympanum of a kidney shape, placed transversely to 

 the trachea, the middle of which is flat and mem- 

 branaceous : the opposite side of the labyrinth is 

 depressed, and from the bottom of this part the 

 branchiae take their origin. 



This species inhabits the arctic seas, and, like the 

 other natives of those frigid regions, migrates south- 

 wards during the inclemency of the winter, though 

 it is said that some remain at all times in those un- 

 genial climes. They occur in considerable flocks in 

 the Orkneys from October to April, and a few visit 

 the southern parts of Britain during that period : 

 they mostly reside on the sea-coasts, where they can 

 procure plenty of mollusca, upon which they chiefly 

 subsist. They fly very swiftly, take short excursions, 

 and are lively, restless birds : they are met with in 

 large flocks in North America ; and of an evening 



O ' *-* 



their loud and confused noise may be heard in calm 

 v. xn. P. n. 12 



