324 EIDER DUCK- 



dusky in the middle; upper part of the head deep velvet black, 

 divided laterally on the hind head by a whitish band; cheeks 

 white; sides of the head pale pea green, marked with a narrow 

 line of white dropt from the ear feathers; the plumage of this 

 part of the head, to the throat, is tumid, and looks as if cut off 

 at the end, for immediately below the neck it suddenly narrows, 

 somewhat in the manner of the Bufiel-head, enlarging again 

 greatly as it descends, and has a singular hollow between the 

 shoulders behind; the upper part of the neck, the back, scapu- 

 lars, lesser wing-coverts, and sides of the rump are pure white; 

 lower part of the breast, belly, and vent black; tail, primaries 

 and secondaries brownish black, the tertials curiously curved, 

 falling over the wing; legs short, yellow; webs of the feet dusky. 



Latham has given us the following sketch of the gradual pro- 

 gress of the young males to their perfect colours: "In the first 

 year the back is white, and the usual parts, except the crown, 

 black; but the rest of the body is variegated with black and 

 white. In the second year the neck and breast are spotted black 

 and white, and the crown black. In the third the colours are 

 nearly as when in full plumage; but less vivid, and a few spots 

 of black still remaining on the neck; the crown black, and bifid 

 at the back part. 



"The young of both sexes are the same, being covered with 

 a kind of hairy down: throat and breast whitish; and a cinereous 

 line from the bill through the eyes to the hind head."* 



* Synopsis, in, p. 471. 



