320 BIRDS. PALMIPEDES. 



in rainy weather. One female, during the time of laying, usually yields half a pound 

 of down, which, however, is reduced one-half after it is cleaned. It is extremely 

 soft and warm, and so light and elastic, that two handfuls squeezed together are 

 sufficient to fill a quilt five feet square. A large quantity is procured every year 

 from Iceland by the merchants of Copenhagen. 



A. spectabilis, Lin. King Duck or Gray-headed Duck. Top of 

 the head, occiput, and neck of a fine bluish gray ; cheeks shining 

 sea green ; upper part of the back, wing-coverts, and two large 

 spots on each side of the rurnp white ; breast reddish white ; lower 

 part of the back, wings, tail, and under part of the body deep 

 black; base of the bill laterally prolonged on the forehead into two 

 processes, which rise in the form of crests ; bill and legs of a fine 

 vermilion hue. 22 to 24 inches long. Inhabits the Frozen Ocean. 

 Lewin's Brit. Birds, vii. pi. 245. 



A. perspicillata, Lin. Black Duck. Plumage black, with the crown 

 and nape white ; two long protuberances on the lateral part of 

 the bill ; no speculum on the wings. 20 inches long. Inhabits 

 North America. Edrv. Glean, pi. 155. 



A. fusca, Lin. Velvet or Great Black Duck. No protuberance at 

 the base of the bill ; wing-spot small and white ; tarsi and toes 

 red ; almost the whole plumage of a deep velvet black ; a white 

 crescent under the eyes ; webs black. 20 to 21 inches long. In- 

 habits N. Europe, &c. B. Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. pi. 41. 



A. nigra, Lin. Black Diver. Plumage wholly black ; no wing- 

 spot ; a spherical protuberance on the base of the bill ; nostrils and 

 a longitudinal band on the bill orange ; naked circle of the eyes 

 yellow; tail very conical; toes brown, membrane black. 16 in- 

 ches long. Inhabits Arctic Regions Shaw, xii. pi. 59. 



A. leucocephala, Lath. Ural Duck. Top of the head deep black ; 

 forehead, cheeks, and throat white ; lower parts of the neck and 

 nape black ; breast, upper parts of the body, and flanks fine deep 

 red, with zigzag lines of brownish-black ; bill very broad, blue ; 

 wings very short; tail long, conical. 15 to 16 inches long. In- 

 habits salt lakes in Eastern Europe Tern. Man. 859. 



A. glacialisj Lin. Long-tailed Duck. Plumage white, with a large 

 brown-chestnut spot on the sides of the neck ; breast, back, rump, 

 and part of the wings black ; bill very short, black, with a trans- 

 verse red band ; two middle tail-feathers very long, sooty brown. 

 21 inches long. Inhabits Arctic Seas. B. Shaw, xii. pi. 58. 



A. rujtna, Pallas. Red-Crested Duck. Back and wings brown ; 

 head and neck reddish-brown ; breast, belly, and abdomen deep 

 black ; a tuft of long silky feathers on the head ; bill long, depres- 

 sed towards the point. 20 inches long. Inhabits Northern Eu- 

 rope. Tern. Man. 864. 



A. Marila, Lin. Scaup or White-faced Duck. Head and upper 

 part of the neck black, with green reflections ; lower part of the 

 breast and rump deep black ; top of the back and scapulars whit- 

 ish, with distant fine zigzag lines ; wing-coverts marbled black 



