NATATORES. FULIGULA. 34 
rump and tail-coverts, belly and abdomen, ink-black, 
The border of the wings, greater quills, and tail, brown- 
ish-black. 
The female so closely resembles in her colours the female 
of the Common Eider as to render minute description 
unnecessary. She may, however, always be distin- 
guished from the other by the form of the frontal 
plates, which, instead of being horizontal, are nearly 
vertical. 
The young males resemble the females for the first year, 
and the changes seem to occur like those of the Com- 
mon Eider. 
Genus FULIGULA, Ray, Leacu. POCHARD. 
GENERIC CHARACTERS. 
Bitu as long as the head; slightly elevated at the base ; 
broad, and nearly equally so throughout its length; de- 
pressed towards the tip, which is rounded and armed with a 
small deflected nail. Both mandibles laminated ; the plates 
broad, and entirely concealed by the deflected margins of 
the bill. Nostrils at a short distance from the base, lateral, 
oblong, rather small. Wings concave, acute; the first and 
second quill-feathers being nearly equal in length. Tail 
generally short, rounded, consisting of sixteen or fourteen 
pointed feathers. Legs having the tarsus much shorter than 
the middle and outer toes. Feet large, webbed, with the 
outer and middle toes of equal length; hind toe having a 
large lobated membrane. General form short and broad ; 
with the neck rather thick and short; and the legs placed 
far backwards. 
The members of this genus, which are numerous, have 
the bill of similar shape to that of the former subfamily, but 
Female. 
