328 NATATORES. OIDEMIA. 
SuBprAMILY FULIGULINA. 
Hinp toe with a lobated membrane. Legs placed far 
backwards. Neck thick and short. Dive in search of food. 
Genus OIDEMIA, Frem. SCOTER. 
GENERIC CHARACTERS. 
Bixr. swollen or tuberculated at the base, large, elevated, 
and strong; the tip much depressed and flattened, terminat- 
ed by a large flat dertrum or nail, which has its extremity 
rounded and slightly deflected. Mandibles laminated, with 
the plates broad, strong, and widely set. 
Nostrils lateral, elevated, oval, placed near the middle of 
the bill. 
Wings of mean length, concave, acute—Tail short, gra- 
duated, acute. 
Legs far behind the centre of gravity; tarsi short; feet 
large, of four toes, three before and one behind. Outer toe 
as long as the middle one, and much longer than the tarsus ; 
hind toe with a large lobated membrane. 
The members of this genus are distinguished by a prevail- 
ing darkness of plumage ; the males being clothed in a garb 
of glossy black, the females in one of a brown or sooty com- 
plexion. In some species it is uniform and without relief, 
but in others, which approach nearer to the succeeding genus 
g 
Somateria (Eider), it is relieved by small patches of white. 
They are strictly marine birds, inhabiting the ocean or inland 
saline seas; and from adventitious circumstances only are 
they ever seen upon fresh water lakes, or on rivers beyond 
the influence of the tide. They swim well, and obtain their 
food (such as crustaceous and molluscous animals) by diy- 
