344 AMERICAN SCOTER DUCK. 



sandy shallows of the coast, as soon as the weather permits. They are 

 extremely abundant about Boston, New York, the New Jersey shores, and 

 the Chesapeake; but less so to the southward, until you reach the salt lakes 

 about New Orleans. Their food consists of shell-fish of small size, marine 

 plants, and insects. 



The difference between this species and the European bird of the same 

 name, Fuligula nigra, being now well known, it is unnecessary to say any 

 thing on the subject. I have given figures of the adult male and female, but 

 am not acquainted with the changes which the plumage undergoes. The 

 young are covered with pure black hair-like down. In the winter season, at 

 which time the male in the plate was drawn, the colour of the bill is much 

 less bright than in spring, or during the period of breeding, when the males, 

 after they have left the females, associate together in parties, and moult in 

 August. 



It has been supposed that we have two species confounded under the 

 common name of Scoter; but I have not succeeded in finding more than one, 

 and my zealous young friend, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, of Boston, who is 

 quite competent to the task, has been equally unsuccessful, although in the 

 course of the last two years he has examined a great number of individuals. 



Scoter Duck, Anas nigra, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 135. 



Fuligula nigra, Bonap. Syn., p. 390. 



Oidemia americana, Swains. American Scoter, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. 



ii. p. 450. 

 American Scoter Duck, Fuligula americana, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 422. 

 American Scoter Duck, Fuligula americana, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 117. 



Male, 19, 33£. Female, 17, 29^. 



In winter abundant in the Bays of Boston, New York, and Chesapeake, 

 and as far south as the mouth of the Mississippi. Never inland. Breeds 

 from Labrador to the Arctic seas. 



Adult Male. 



Bill a little shorter than the head, very broad, higher than broad at the 

 base, much depressed toward the end, which is semi-elliptical. Upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal outline convex at the base, descending and concave in 

 the middle, again convex toward the end; the basal part tumid with a median 

 groove, the ridge broad and slightly convex between the nostrils, the sides 

 at first nearly erect and concave, gradually becoming more depressed and 

 convex, the sides soft, internally lamellate, nearly parallel for half their 

 length, dilating a little to beyond the nostrils, then contracting; the unguis 

 very large, broadly elliptical. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle 

 long and rather narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges parallel, 



