538 BIRDS — AWATID^. 



female, 18-19 inches ; wing, 8-9 ; gape, 2 ; cQlmen, If. Differs from the European in 

 shade and coloiation of the piotnberance on the bill. 



Habitat, North America, both coasts, and laige inland wateis. 



Rare winter resident or visitor. I can record but three instances of its 

 capture. A young male was taken at Licking Reservoir, December, 1876, 

 and preserved by Dr. Jasper, of this city. This is the specimen referred 

 to by Dr. Merriam, above cited. Mr. Winslow has since informed me that 

 it has been taken on Portage River, in Northern Ohio, and Mr. Chubb 

 writes me that he shot one of a flock of three on Lake Erie, in the fall of 

 1880. 



Dr. Merriam has taken it on Black River, N. Y., and Mr. J. A. 

 Allen reports its capture at St. Louis, Missouri. 



Sub-genus Melanetta. Bill broadly encroached upon by the frontal feathers, on the 

 cnlmen nearly or quite to the nostrils, and on its sides to a less extent, shorter than 

 head ; nail broad and truncate ; gibbosity superior, circumscribed. 



(Edemia FUSCA (Jj.) Sw. 

 (varf.) VELVBTiNA Cassin. 



"Velvet Scoter. 



Melmetta velveUna, Wheaton, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 370, 378 ; Reprint, 1861, 12, 20. 

 (Edemia fuaca, Wheaton, Pood of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Kep. for 1874, 574 ; Beprint, 



1875, 14. — Langdon, Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 186 ; Reprint, 



20. 



Anag fiisoa, LlNNiEUS, Fn. Suec, 39. 



aSAemia fusoa, Fleming, Phil, of Zool., ii, 1823, 260. 



Melanetta velveiimi, Baird, Birds N. A. 1858, 805 



Male black with a large white wing-patch, and another under the eye ; feet orange- 

 red, with dusky-webs. Bill black, broadly orange-tipped ; size of the last or rather 

 larger; female smaller, sooty-browi', pale-grayish below, with much whitish about 

 head, but showing white speculum ; bill all black. 



Habitat, Europe and America, chiefly maritime, but also on inland waters. 



Rare winter visitor in the interior, probably more frequent on Lake 

 Erie. Mr. Winslow states that this duck sometimes occurs on the lake 

 both in the vicinity of Cleveland and Sandusky Bay. Many years since 

 I saw an adult bird said to have been taken on the Scioto River, near 

 this city. An immature bird was taken at the Licking Reservior in 

 December, 1876, in company with the last species. 



Mr. J. A. Allen records two specimens from St. Louis, Missouri, and 

 Mr. Nelson gives it as rather common on Lake Michigan and occurring 

 throughout the State of Illinois, and Dr. Haymond notes it as " numer- 

 ous in winter" in Franklin county, Indiana. 



