SCAUP-DUCK. 155 



headed, blue-billed drake, and see how dead you can 

 kill him ; then swing your gun quickly, catch his mate, 

 and you will feel more pleased at these two birds killed 

 cleanly and prettily, than if you had killed half a dozen 

 sitting on the water. 



Nos. 6, 7 or 8 is the proper size of shot. No. 6 in 

 flight, the other sizes over decoys. 



SCAUP-DUCK. 



(Fuligula Marila) 



"Blue Bill," "Black Head," " Broad Bill." 



Adult Male. Bill as long as the head, broad at the 

 base, and large and flattened toward the end, which is 

 rounded ; the frontal angles narrow and pointed. 

 Head of moderate size ; eyes small ; neck of moderate 

 length, rather thick ; body comparatively short, com- 

 pact and depressed ; wings small ; feet very short, 

 strong, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, 

 compressed ; plumage dense, soft, blended ; feathers of 

 the head and neck short and velvety, those of the hind 

 head a little elongated ; wings shortish, narrow, pointed ; 

 primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the first long- 

 est, second very little shorter, the rest rapidly gradu- 

 ated ; secondary, broad and rounded, the inner elon- 

 gated and tapering ; tail very short, much rounded, of 

 14 feathers ; bill, light grayish blue ; the ungins, black- 

 ish ; iris, yellow ; feet, grayish blue ; the webs and claws, 

 black ; the head, the whole neck and fore part of the 

 back and breast, black ; the head and neck glossed with 

 purple and jgreen, the rest tinged with brown ; hind 



