AMERICAN SCAUP. 349 



page, " one of these varieties (if such they be) is common 

 upon the lakes of Mexico/ 1 



The late Mr. Vigors, who wrote the ornithological por- 

 tion of the volume published on the various subjects in 

 Zoology obtained during a voyage to the Pacific and 

 Behring's Straits, performed in H.M.S. Blossom, under the 

 command of Captain F. W. Beechey, appends the follow- 

 ing remarks to his notice of our Scaup Duck at page 31 : 



" Several specimens of a bird nearly allied to this species, 

 if not the same, were brought home by the expedition. 

 They uniformly differ from the typical Fuligula marila in 

 their smaller size ; in the black colour on the breast being 

 less intense and defined ; in the undulating white markings 

 being less diffused over the scapulars and back, and being 

 wanting almost entirely on the wing-coverts. Dr. Richard- 

 son, whose judgment on these points, and whose experience 

 respecting the birds of the Arctic Regions, entitles him to 

 every confidence, is inclined to consider these birds but as 

 a variety of the European species. Following his opinion, 

 I refrain from describing them as separate. It is, how- 

 ever, to be observedj that the true Fuligula marila is found 

 in North America, and there is less reason to believe the 

 birds alluded to above to be varieties resulting from climate 

 or locality. Should the species prove to be distinct, the 

 specific name of mariloides, which has been suggested by 

 Dr. Richardson, would be appropriate/ 1 



I have not been able to find Dr. Richardson^s suggestion 

 of the name mariloides, (Scaup-like,) except in the quota- 

 tion here made, and examination of more examples of the 

 bird, than the single one here figured, may be considered 

 necessary to decide that this Duck is distinct from the 

 Scaup Duck. I have, however, adopted the name pro- 

 visionally. 



