BLACK SCOTER. 



deep brown ; all the feathers tipped with whitish- 

 brown : the feathers of the breast are ashy-brown, all 

 tipped with whitish-brown : the base of the beak is 

 elevated, but is destitute of the globular protuberance 

 of the male : the nostrils, and a spot towards the 

 tip of the beak, are yellowish ; the rest of the beak 

 blackish : the naked circle of the eye is brown. The 

 young males do not differ materially in plumage from 

 the females : they have the beak black, except the 

 nostrils and the under mandible, which are flesh- 

 colour : the irides are ashy-brown : the space between 

 the beak and the eye, the top of the head, the occi- 

 put, the nape, and the breast are deep brown : a 

 space beneath the eyes, the sides, and fore part of 

 the neck are pure white : all the rest of the plumage 

 is dusky brown, or soot-colour : the tarsi and toes 

 are yellow-ochre, tinged with greenish ; the mem- 

 branes are black. The young female has the brown 

 on her plumage more ashy, and all the feathers have 

 their edges palest : the white on the neck is tinged 

 with greyish ; and the breast and belly are rayed with 

 greyish and brown. 



The trachea of this species is gradually dilated to 

 the middle of its length, where it is as big again as 

 at its origin ; it then becomes gradually narrower to 

 the lower larynx, which is dilated into two gristly 

 sacs, which are united in the middle by a transpa- 

 rent membrane : the branchiae^are dilated and much 

 swollen; a character which also belongs to the female. 

 Native of the arctic regions, visiting the coasts of 

 England, Holland, and France in plenty during the 



