212 SOMATEEIA LABRADOHIA. 



by the black primaries and four hoary tertials edged with black ; whole lower 

 parts a dull ash, skirted with brownish white or clay-colour ; legs and feet 

 as in the male ; the bill in both is marked from the nostrils backwards by a 

 singular heart-shaped outline. 



"The windpipe of the male measures 10 inches in length, and has four 

 enlargements, viz. : —one immediately below the mouth, another at the interval 

 of an inch ; it then bends largely down to the breastbone, to which it adheres 

 by two strong muscles, and has at that place a third expansion ; it then 

 becomes flattened, and before it separates into the wings has a fourth 

 enlargement much greater than any of the former, which is bony and round, 

 puffing out from the left side. The intestines measured 6 feet ; the stomach 

 contained small clams and some glutinous matter ; the liver was remarkably 

 large." 



In a note is added :— " The Prince of Musignano places this bird among 

 the FuligulcB (^Fuligula labradora^ Bonap. Synop. p. 391).'' 



Mr. Elliott Coues, in his notes on the ornithology of Labrador, made in 

 1860 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1861, p. 239), says :—" I did not succeed 

 in procuring or even meeting with this rare and very remarkable Duck. I 

 was informed that though it was rarely seen in the summer, it is not 

 an uncommon bird in Labrador during the fall. It is known by the 

 peculiar appellation of "fool-bird" — a name given it on account of its 

 remarkably unsuspicious nature, which renders it easy to approach. The 

 name, however, can scarcely be a general one. Further than this I learned 

 nothing respecting it." 



The following appears at p. 170 of the ^Journal of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia/ vol. viii. : — 



"Description of a New Species of Fuligula. By George C. Leib, M.D. 



[Eead January 7th., 1840.] 



" Fuligula grisea. 



" This Duck was procured in the market of Philadelphia, on the 15th of 



