LESSER BLUEBILL 339 
broad, dull blue in color, and with a black nail. 
I think the bill of the Lesser Scaup averages 
proportionately wider than that of the larger 
species. Feet leaden blue with dusky or nearly 
black webs. Iris yellow. 
The female not greatly different from her 
mate, the jet black areas of the head and fore 
parts of the body of the male bird fading to a 
dusky brown in her plumage. A whitish patch 
at the base of the bill. Black and white wavy 
lines of back less distinctly shown. Flanks 
brown, the feathers edged with whitish. 
The length of the Greater Scaup ranges from 
eighteen to twenty inches; the extent from 
thirty-two to thirty-four inches. In the Lesser 
Scaup the length varies from fifteen to seven- 
teen and the extent from twenty-seven to thirty 
inches. 
In New England the Greater Bluebill is the 
more common bird; further south the small 
variety is about equally numerous. 
These birds are also known as Black-Heads, 
Raft Ducks, and Shufflers. The name, ‘‘Scaup 
Duck,’’ comes from their feeding on ‘‘scaup,”’ 
broken shells and mussels. 
