88 LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



Point, as he was walking along the sea-beach, a female of this species got up and 

 flew violently away to a short distance, where she alighted on the ground. He at 

 once discovered her nest, which was a mere hole or depression in the ground, about 

 fifty yards from the beach, wholly composed of Eider down, and containing six 

 eggs. Other nests were found on the coast during several seasons, and also among 

 the islands of the Arctic Sea. All appear to have been similar to the one de- 

 scribed, and six is the largest number of eggs mentioned as having been found in 

 any one nest. 



The eggs of this species are in color of a light shade of olive gray, some being 

 grayish green. They vary considerably in size, ranging from 3.10 to 3.15 inches in 

 length, and from 1.75 to 2.05 in breadth. 



Genus QiDEMIA, Fleming. 



Oidemia, Fleming, Philos. Zool. II. 1822, 260 (type, Anas nigra, Linn.). 



Char. Feathers at the base of the maxilla forming a nearly straight oblique line from the 

 forehead back to the rictus, advancing scarcely, if at all, on the forehead ; bill very deep through 

 the base, where sometimes elevated into a roundish knob, and much depressed toward the end. 

 No white whatever on the plumage. 



Two species only of this genus are known, one European, the other American. They are nuich 

 alike, but may be distinguished as follows : — 



Com. Char. Entire plumage deep black, the bill partly orange, in the males ; dull grayisli 

 brown (lighter below), the bill wholly black, in the females. 



1. Qj. nigra.i Bill black, the middle portion on top yellow or orange ; nail much depressed, 



scarcely hooked ; base of the maxilla much swollen, entirely black. Wing, 8.00-9.20 

 inches; culmen, 1.90 ; depth of maxilla at base, .98-1.00, width, .85 ; tarsus, 1.50-1.60 ; 

 middle toe, 2.50. Hab. Palsearctic Region. 



2. CE. americana. Bill with the basal half of the maxilla, except a stripe along the tomium, 



yellow or orange, the terminal portion and tomial stripe, only, black ; nail arched, 

 decidedly hooked ; base of the maxilla slightly or not at all swollen, entirely yellow, or 

 orange. Wing, 8.75-9.50 inches ; culmen, 1.65-1.80 ; depth of maxilla at base, .85-.95, 

 width, .90-1.00; tarsus, 1.65-2.00; middle toe, 2.50-2.80.2 Hah. Northern North 

 America. 



1 (Edemia nigra. 



Anas nigra, Linn. S. N. I. ed. 10, I. 1758, 123 ; ed. 12, 1766, 196. — Naum. Viig. Deutschl. 



XII. 1844, 108, pi. 312. 

 Oidemia nigra, Flem. Phil, of Zool. II. 1822, 260. — Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 38. —Keys. & 



Blas. Wirb. Eur. 1840, 86. — Macgii.l. Man. II. 181. 

 Fidigula nigra, Nutt. Man. II. 1832, 423 ("Coast of the United States"). 

 Anas atra, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. II. 1826, 247. 



McJanitta nigripes, M. mcgauros, and M. gibhcra, Breiim, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 901, 902. 

 Oidemia Iciicoccpliala, Flem. Brit. An. 1828, 119. 

 Common Scoter, Yarr. Brit. B. ed. 2, III. 317, fig. ; ed. 3, IV. 319, tig. 



2 Only one adult male of CE. nigra is accessible to us for measurement, while of QS. americana we have 

 measured eight examples ; a lai-ger series of the former would of course alter the results given above to 

 some extent, but would most likely verify the constancy of the difference in proportions indicated by the 

 above figures. 



