COMMON SCOTER. 321 



not common ; only two nests were obtained. In the adult 

 male the beak is black ; except the central ridge of the 

 upper mandible, which is orange ; the irides brown ; all 

 the plumage deep black ; legs and toes dusky black, the 

 webs darker, or quite black. The whole length nineteen 

 inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the longest 

 quill-feather nine inches ; the second quill-feather rather the 

 longest in the wing. 



In the female all the upper surface of the body is of a 

 uniform blackish brown, the margins of the wing-coverts a 

 little lighter ; cheeks, and sides of the neck paler brown ; 

 lower part of the neck, the breast, abdomen, vent, and 

 under tail-coverts, dark brown ; legs and toes brown, 

 tinged with green : the interdigital membrane almost 

 black. Young birds of the year, at the approach of their 

 first winter, have the cheeks, chin, sides and front of the 

 neck, dull greyish- white, and the under surface of the 

 body mottled with white and brown. 



The trachea of the male Scoter differs from that of the 

 male of any other species among the Ducks, in having no 

 bony enlargement ; and differs from that of the female 

 only in having the principal tube, as well as the bronchial 

 tubes rather larger. A portion of both are figured below. 



VOL. III. 



