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385 
MELANETTA VELVETINA (Barrp). 
THE VELVET SCOTER. 
Specific Character.—Adult male—Base of the culmen elevated into a 
prominent knob; lateral base of the maxilla sunken beneath the feathering of the 
lores. Plumage uniform brownish black. A crescentie spot beneath the eye and 
extending backwards for half an inch or more, secondaries, and greater wing 
coverts white. Knob of the bill with base, and margin of the maxilla, black ; 
sides of the bill red lead fading into orange ; nail vermilion ; the anterior flat 
portion of the upper mandible whitish; iris, white tinged with straw yellow; 
legs scarlet with black webs, and a tinge of black on the joints. 
Female.—Uniform grayish fuliginous, the wings darker ; white speculum as 
in the male, but no white about the head, or with faint indication of white spot 
at the base of the maxilla and behind the eye. 
Total length 19.75 to 22.50 inches; extent 36.00 to 40.00 ; wing 10.75 ; com- 
missure 2.82; tarsus 2.08. 
Habitat—Northern North America, chiefly maritime, but occurring also in 
various inland waters; south in winter to the middle states, greater lakes, and 
southern California. 
This duck is familiar in Ontario, occurrizg in large flocks on our great lakes 
and rivers in the spring and autumn. In the spring they reach here about the 
_ middle of April and after staying a couple of weeks go on to the north where they 
breed. They return late in October and November. On the seacoast this bird 
is much hunted, but its flesh is not good and must be bought only by those who 
do not know what a good duck is. 
It nests on the ground and lays from 6 to 10 eggs of a pale cream colour. 
