145 



Male distinguished from the folio-wing, which it in every other respect resembles, by the 

 protuberance at the base of the bill and a small space anteriorly and laterally being entirely orange, 

 and by the sides of the nail at the apex of the upper mandible being suddenly narrowed. 



Fern. : a similar distinction holds between the females of this and the following as regards the 

 nail. 



Oidemia Americana Faun. Bo. Am. 2. loo. 



JVutt. Orn. 2. 422. 

 Brought home by Dr. Richardson from the neighbourhood of Hudson's Bay ; specimens are in 

 our collection. 



MELANITTA NIGRA. 



Me/. Mas. — Ater ; tubercula bifida atra ad basin rostri. 



Mel. Fern. — Brunnea; subtus cinerea, macula albicante gutture. 



BLACK SCOTER. 



Male, scoter, with a bifid black tubercle at the base of the bill. 

 Fern, brown ; beneath cinereous, with a white patch on the throat. 



IN. IX. 



Length 21 Tarsi . ., 1 9-12ths 



Bill ]| Middle toe 2| 



Male entirely black, glossy on the head and neck ; no speculum ; a bifid protuberance at 

 tbe base of the bill, orange in the centre, black on the sides ; a small patch anterior to the tubercle, 

 also orange ; remainder black ; legs dark lead coloured. 



Fern. : sooty black or brown ; a large light coloured grey patch on the throat, extending back- 

 wards to the hind neck, and below about half way down the fore neck ; bill (devoid or nearly so of 

 a tubercle) entirely black ; legs as in the male. 



Young similar to the female. 



Melanitta nigra Brehm. Hum/, der Nat. oiler, Vo. Deut. 903. 



Aikik nigra Lim,. Syst. 1 . 1 96. 



G me/. Syst. 1 . .088. 



Lath. I ml. (Int. •>. 848, 



Alias nigra minor Raii Syn. Ill . ■/. 



Oidemia nigra Mem. Brit, .1". i [ft 



Scoter or Work Diver Verm. . tret. Zool. 2, 184, 



Le Macreuee Buf. Ois. ft 7M.pl. 16 



A native of the northern regions, but migrating southwards during winter down the European 



u 



