2 2 Sel a ee 
~~, ae 5 
’ « 
384 
OEDEMIA AMERICANA (Cougs). 
THE AMERICAN BLACK SCOTER. 
Specific Character—Entire plumage uniform deep black, the neck faintly 
glossed with dull violaceous, the feathers somewhat distinctly defined ; basal half 
of the maxilla except a stripe along the edge of the bill bright orange, the 
remainder of the bill black; iris hazel; legs and feet dull black. “The bulging 
part of the upper mandible is bright orange, paler above that colour extending 
to a little before the nostrils; the rest of the upper mandible including its basal. 
margin to the breadth of from three to two-twelfths of an inch, black as is the 
lower mandible ; feet brownish black ; iris brown.” (Audubon). 
Female—Above dull 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. 
Total length about 17.00 to 19.00 inches; extent 29.00 to 34.00; wing 8.75. 
to 9.50; culmen 1.75; tarsus 2.00; middle toe 2.50. Female smaller. 
Habitat.—Coasts and larger inland waters of Northern North America, south 
to the Great lakes, New Jersey, and California. | 
Sir John Richardson says of this duck that it feeds almost exclusively in the 
open sea, that its flesh is always oily and strongly flavoured, that it frequents the — 
shores of Hudson’s Bay, breeding there between the 50th and 60th parallels of 
latitude. In Ontario we know it as one of the spring and fall migrants; as it is. 
not fit for food it is seldom taken. 
