146 ANATID.E 



female garb may possibly be assumed for a short period, 

 as in the case of the Velvet-Scoter. 



Adult female nuptial. Chiefly dark brown ; wing- 

 coverts, lighter; sides of the neck and cheeks, greyish- 

 white ; chin, impure white. 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the respective 

 nuptial plumages. 



Immature, male and female. Cheeks, chin, sides and 

 front of neck, breast, and abdomen, dull greyish-white ; 

 lower part of the abdomen, mottled with white and brown. 



BEAK. Black, with the ' basal protuberance ' marked 

 in the middle line by a narrowband of orange-yellow, which, 

 widening out, extends nearly to the tip. In the female the 

 * basal protuberance ' and orange band are absent. 



FEET. Deep brownish-black. 



IRIDES. Dark brown. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 20 in. 



WING 9 



BEAK ... 1-9 



TARSO-METATARSUS 1'25 ,, 



EGG 2-5 x 1-8 in. 



Allied Species and Representative Forms. (E. americana, 

 with a completely orange-yellow ' basal protuberance,' is the 

 North American representative. 



YELYET-SCOTER. (Edemia fusca (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, pi. 

 29 ; Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pi. 448 ; Lilford, 

 ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 56. 



This is the largest of the three Scoters which visit British 

 waters. It may readily be distinguished from the former 

 species by the white band on its wings. It cannot be said 

 that the Velvet-Scoter is a plentiful winter-visitor, yet it is 

 not infrequent along the south and east coasts of England 

 and Scotland, as far north as the Orkneys. 



