SEA FOWL IN NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. 143 



to back of head. All below the eye, the cheeks, the chin, throat and sides of 

 neck, for about four inches, may be called very pale fawn, as a back ground to 

 numerous dark pencilled dots or lines. In the full nuptial plumage of the 

 male, the border between this lighter neck and the deep brown of the breast 

 becomes very distinct, indeed, with his pouting cheeks, swelling neck and 

 tumid feathers, he looks as if he had an ashey white neck and head. The 

 female and young are less distinctly marked. The bill is long and low, the 

 frontal feathers coming down in a peak, the side feathers in a semi-circle. The 

 colour of the bill is greenish horn with the tips black and a subcircular nail on 

 each tip. The lammella very fine in both mandibles; the nostrils high up. A 

 line runs along the upper mandible from rictus to tip, and a second line above 

 this, from the tip, passes it. The legs are a dusky orange, with a red wash ; 

 the webs scarcely black ; the soles dusky. The tarsi and toes are uninterrupt- 

 edly scutellated on their front ; on other parts, obscurely reticulated. 

 " Total length, 2 feet. 



Length of spread wings, 3 feet 3-10 inch. 

 " of upper mandible, 2£ inch. 

 " of tarsus, 2 inch. 

 " of longest toe, 2i inch. 



Irides, dark brown. 



Tail feathers, 16 — " 



In some young birds shot 1st August, 1880, and still in fine 

 feather, the plumage was much darker than adult, and less di- 

 versified by fawn or brownish edges to the feather. The other 

 resident duck we have, cannot be called abundant. Unlike the 

 last sombre-coloured but still very beautiful bird, he is adorned 

 by the most beautiful metallic tints of the tropics, and seems an 

 alien upon our frozen streams. Of the wood ducks breeding 

 here, I have had several specimens of the young, shot August 

 17th, 1877, near Annapolis Royal, in their first plumage, and not 

 having the white-forked collar of the adult. The Indians all 

 maintain he is found mid-winter about the rapids and low falls 

 between our inland lakes, which never freeze. This has been 

 confirmed by sportsmen, and also lumberers, who camp all winter 

 beside these streams, yet he seems out of place, and I fancy not 

 abundant or long to remain. I have never seen him in winter 

 myself. Our next group of ducks, consisting of the Scaups, 

 the Ringnecks, Canvasbacks, the Goldeneyes and JBuffleheads, 

 .stand immediate between the freshwater and the sea ducks. 

 They are at home equally in lake and ocean. They are expert 

 divers but bad walkers, having the leg thrown far back. Their 



