330 PIED DUCK. 



unless urged by stress of weather. It procures its food by diving amidst the 

 rolling surf over sand or mud bars; although at times it comes along the 

 shore, and searches in the manner of the Spoonbill Duck. Its usual fare 

 consists of small shell-fish, fry, and various kinds of sea-weeds, along with 

 which it swallows much sand and gravel. Its flight is swift, and its wings 

 emit a whistling sound. It is usually seen in flocks of from seven to ten, 

 probably the members of one family. 



Pied Duck, Anas labradora, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 91. 



FuLIGULA LABRADORA, Bonap. SyiL, p. 391. 



Pied Duck, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 428. 



Pied Duck, Fuligula labradora, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 271. 



Male, 20, 30. Female, 1.8i, 29. 



Along the shores of the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to New Jersey, rather 

 rare, in winter. Breeds from Labrador northward. Never seen in the 

 interior. 



Adult Male. 



Bill nearly as long as the head, rather broader than high at the base, the 

 sides nearly parallel, but at the end enlarged by soft membranous expansions 

 to the upper mandible. The latter has the dorsal outline at first straight and 

 declinate, then direct and slightly convex, at the extremity decurved; the 

 ridge broad at the base, convex toward the end; the sides sloping at the 

 base, then convex, the extremity broad and rounded, the unguis broadly 

 obovate; the margins soft, expanded toward the end, and with about 50 la- 

 mellae, of which the anterior are inconspicuous. Nasal groove oblong, nos- 

 trils linear-oblong, sub-basal near the ridge. Lower mandible flattened, 

 curved upwards, with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line very 

 short, and nearly straight, the nearly erect edges with about 30 large and 

 prominent lamellae; the unguis very broad. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes small. Neck rather 

 short and thick. Body full, depressed. Feet very short, strong, placed 

 rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, with two anterior series of 

 rather small scutella, the sides and back part reticulated with angular scales. 

 Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath; outer anterior toes 

 double the length of the tarsus, and nearly equal, the inner much shorter, 

 and with a broad marginal membrane. Claws small, slightly arched, com- 

 pressed, rather acute. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended; feathers of the head and neck small, oblong; 

 those on the lower part of the cheeks very stiff, having the terminal fila- 

 ments more or less united into a horny plate. Wings short, of moderate 

 breadth, concave, acute: primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the second 



