General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Male. 
Female. 
352 NATATORES. OIDEMIA. Scorer. 
ish-brown ; the cheeks, throat, and sides of the upper part of 
neck, greyish-white, tinged with pale hair-brown. Its bill is 
longer and narrower than that of the Scoter, with the nail 
smaller and suddenly contracting towards its extremity. ‘The 
first quill-feather is rather shorter than the second, and 
though tapering and small toward the tip, has not the de- 
cided notch observable in that of our present species. The 
tail consists of sixteen feathers *. 
Pate 68. Represents the adult Male of the natural size. 
Bill black, with the exception of a band between the basal 
tubercle, the nostrils, and a rounded space in front of 
them, which parts are orange. Circle round the eye 
yellow. Irides brown. Whole of the plumage deep 
ink-black, the head and neck being glossed with Prus- 
sian blue. Legs and toes reddish-black. 
The Female is without the marked tubercle at the base of the 
bill, that part being merely elevated. Head and upper 
parts of the body blackish-brown, margined_ paler. 
Chin and throat greyish-white. Under parts very pale 
broccoli-brown, with a silky lustre. 
The young males are very similar to the females, but the 
white upon the throat is less tinged with brown and 
grey. As they advance in age the tubercle begins to 
swell, and the orange on the bill becomes apparent. 
“ Since writing the above, I have received the second part of that beau- 
tiful and scientific work, the “ Fauna Borealis Americana,” and from the 
description there given of Oidemia Americana, I suspect that my bird be- 
longs to that species. If so, and I can prove it to be a British killed 
specimen, it will certainly be entitled to a place in the list of our Fauna. 
