IDENTIFICATION OF WILD DUGKS' DOWNS. 



373 



Sommerfeldt's Descriptions from 

 Single Sprws. 



A. clangula. — The very thin light 

 down is tvhite ; the centrum pure 

 white ; rami rather long, white, 

 with a slight grey tinge towards 

 the points. The radii are not long, 

 and lay rather close. (See A. of 

 class, opposite column.) 



A. glacialis. — The rather thick and 

 close down is blackish grey, like 

 soot, with a light centrum, and 

 consists of larger and smaller down. 

 The smaller down has the centrum 

 light grey, and the rami light 

 blackish grey right out to the point. 

 The larger down has the centrum 

 light blackish grey ; the rami dark 

 blackish grey out to the point ; 

 the radii long, standing out almost 

 at right angles. (See D. of class, 

 opposite column.) 



A. acuta. — The rather large, thick, 

 and close down is light greyish 

 broivn, with tuhite centrum, mak- 

 ing the white point of the rami 

 appear indistinct ; the centrum is 

 quite pale brownish white ; the 

 rami grey to-war ds the light cen- 

 trum, shaded outwards with light 

 greyish brown, the outer point 

 being white ; the radii rather long, 

 and standing out. (See B. of class, 

 opposite column.) 



A. penelope. — The large and not 

 close down is dark greyish broivn, 

 with light centrum, but the white 

 points are clearly visible ; the cen- 

 trum is greyish white ; rami rather 

 long, dark greyish brown, with a 

 white point of rather more than 

 one line in length ; the radii long, 

 and sticking out, and not lying 

 close. The down has therefore 

 some resemblance to that of A. 

 acuta, but is darker, and the long 

 white points clearly seen. (See B. 

 of class, opposite column.) 



Seebohm and Harvie-Brown's 

 Descriptions from Bulk. 



A. White down : (1) Smew, down 

 large, greyish white ; (2) Golden- 

 eye, down scarcely to be distin- 

 tinguished from Smew's, but has a 

 slight bluish tinge. (See opposite 

 under A. clangula.) 



B. White-tipped : (1) Pintail ; (2) 

 Wigeon. 



(1) Pintail. — Down smaller than (2) ; 

 brown, with pale centres, indis- 

 tinctly tipped with white. (Som- 

 merfeldt calls this " rather large, 

 thick, and close." Our comparison 

 is smaller than (2) of same class.) 



(2) Wigeon. — Down larger than (1), of 

 same class of white-tipped downs; 

 darker brown than (1), pale centres, 

 long and conspicuous white tips. 



C. Large dark, without White 

 Tips. 



(1) Black Scoter. — Down medium 

 size, darker brown than Pintail's, 

 lighter than Wigeon's ; centres 

 pale but conspicuous. 



(2) Velvet Scoter. — Down larger than 

 Black Scoter's ; darker than Pin- 

 tail's or Wi«eon's ; centres less 

 conspicuous than Black Scoter's. 



(3) Scaup. — Down about the same 

 size as Velvet Scoter's, but darker; 

 centres inconspicuous. 



D. Small dark, without White 

 Tips. 



(1) Long-tailed Duck.— Down small, 

 darkish brown ; with pale centres. 



(2) Shoveler. — Down small, darker 

 than Long-tailed Duck's ; pale 

 centres. 



(3) Teal. — Down small, darker brown 

 ^than either Long-tailed Duck's or 



Shoveler's ; pale centres. 



