328 NATATORES. OIDEMIA. 



SUBFAMILY FULIGUUNA. 



HIND toe with a lobated membrane. Legs placed far 

 backwards. Neck thick and short. Dive in search of food. 



GENUS OIDEMIA, FLEU. SCOTER. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



BILL swollen or tuberculated at the base, large, elevated, 

 and strong ; the tip much depressed and flattened, terminat- 

 ed by a large flat dertrum or nail, which has its extremity 

 rounded and slightly deflected. Mandibles laminated, with 

 the plates broad, strong, and widely set. 



Nostrils lateral, elevated, oval, placed near the middle of 

 the bill. 



Wings of mean length, concave, acute. Tail short, gra- 

 duated, acute. 



Legs far behind the centre of gravity ; tarsi short ; feet 

 large, of four toes, three before and one behind. Outer toe 

 as long as the middle one, and much longer than the tarsus ; 

 hind toe with a large lobated membrane. 



The members of this genus are distinguished by a prevail- 

 ing darkness of plumage ; the males being clothed in a garb 

 of glossy black, the females in one of a brown or sooty com- 

 plexion. In some species it is uniform and without relief, 

 but in others, which approach nearer to the succeeding genus 

 Somateria (Eider), it is relieved by small patches of white. 

 They are strictly marine birds, inhabiting the ocean or inland 

 saline seas ; and from adventitious circumstances only are 

 they ever seen upon fresh water lakes, or on rivers beyond 

 the influence of the tide. They swim well, and obtain their 

 food (such as crustaceous and molluscous animals) by div- 



