ANATINiE — THE DUCKS — (EDEMIA. 



89 



CEdemia americana. 



THE AMERICAN BLACK SCOTER. 



Anas nigra, WiLS. Am. Orn. VIll. 1814, 135, pi. 72 (not of Linn.). 



Oidemia aviericana, Sw. & liicu. F. B. A, II. 1831, 450. — Baiud, 15. N. Am. 1858, 807 ; Cat. N. 



Am. B. 1859, no. 604. 

 (Edemin. americana, CouEs, Key, 1872, 293 ; Check List, 1873, no. 516 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 737 ; B. 



N. W. 1874, 581. — RiHGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 630. 

 Fuligula (Oidemia) americana, Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 422. 

 Fidigula americana, AuD. Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 117, pi. 408 ; Synop. 1839, 290 ; B. Am. VL 1843, 



343, pi. 403. 



Hab. Coasts and larger inland waters of Northern North America, south to the Great 

 Lakes, New Jersey, and California. Mountains of Colorado (Boulder Co., June!; Mrs. M. A. 

 Maxwell). 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Entire plumage uniform deep black, the neck very faintly glossed 

 with dull violaceous, the feathers somewhat distinctly defined ; basal half of the maxilla, except a 



CE. americana. 



stripe along the tomium, bright orange (yellowish in the dried .skin), the remainder of the bill 

 black ; iris hazel ; legs and feet dull black. " The bulging part of the upper mandible is T>right 

 orange, paler above, that color extending to a little before the nostrils ; the rest of the upper man- 

 dible, including its basal margin to the breadth of from three to two twelfths of an inch, black, as 

 is the lower mandible. Iris brown. Feet brownish black " (Audubon). Adult female : Above, 

 dull dark grayish brown, the feathers of the back and scapulars tipped with lighter ; lower parts 

 lighter, the pale tips broader, though lacking on the posterior portions ; lateral and lower parts of 

 the head and neck nearly uniform very pale grayish brown, quite abruptly defined against the 

 uniform dark brown of the pileum and nape. Bill entirely black. Young: Upper parts, jugu- 

 lura, sides, and flanks, uniform dark grayish brown ; sides of head and neck, chin and throat, dirty 

 whitish, tinged with brownish gray, quite abruptly defined against the dark brown of the pileum 

 and nape ; abdomen whitish, each feather marked with a dusky grayish brown bar just beneath 

 the surface, some of these bars exposed ; anal region and crissum grayish brown, the feathers tipped 

 with white. Bill and feet black. 

 VOL. IL — 12 



