368 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Very rare vagrant. England. — 

 Three obtained (Jan., 1888, Nov., 1890) Norfolk, one (Aug., 1846) 

 Yorks., two (Nov., 1873, April, 1885) (and others seen) Fame Isles 

 {Northumberland), one (Nov., 1915) Kent. Scotland. — Examples 

 obtained and satisfactorily identified coast of Haddington, Firth of 

 Forth, Fife (June, 1899), and Firth of Tay (several obtained winter 

 1879-80). Several recorded Shetlands (last Feb., 1899, June 29, 

 1910), one Fair Isle (1910) and several Orkneys (last Feb., 1906). 

 Recorded as seen off Jura and May. Ireland. — Dublin (one), 

 Down (two), Mayo (one), and Rathlin Island (one), (last Down, 

 Nov., 1897). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Northern portion of Northern Hemi- 

 sphere, breeding on shores of Arctic Ocean (Greenland, Spitsbergen, 

 Novaya Zemlia, arctic Siberia and America) ; in winter casually to 

 France, Italy (4 times) and several parts of northern Europe, in 

 America rarely and accidentally to Georgia, California, and Iowa. 

 Casual Pribilof Islands. 



Genus OIDEMIA Flem. 



Oidemia Fleming, Philosophy of Zool., u, p. 260 (1822 — Type by subse- 

 quent designation, Gray, 1840, O. nigra). 



Structurally nearest to Nyroca and Bucephala but windpipe 

 different (as also in some species of same genus). Bill rather wide, 

 a little shorter than head, tip compressed, serrations coarse, nail 

 occupying whole tip of bill. Nostrils behind middle of bill. Males 

 with knob at base of culmen, swollen in adults. Feathering extend- 

 ing more or less on to upper mandible, but not in points, different 

 in each species. 14 to 16 rectrices, tail cuneiform, more or less 

 stiff. Males black, females dark brown. Eggs brownish, not 

 greenish. 3 species, 2 of which in several subspecies, northern 

 portions of Northern Hemisphere. 



Key to species of genus Oidemia. 



n J Plumage black 2 



\_ Plumage brown ..... 3 



C Entirely black O. nigra, $ ad., p. 369 



| With white wing-speculum and small 

 2 -{ white spot under eyes .... O.fusca, <$ ad., p. 373 



| With white patches on head and hind- 



(_ neck O. perspicillata, <$ ad., p. 376 



_ /With white wing-speculum. . . . O.fusca 2 and juv., p. 374 



\ Without white wing-speculum . . 4 



f Sides of head and neck pale greyish- 



I brown O. nigra, 2 and juv., p. 370 



j Sides of head and neck dark brown with 



[_ pale spots on lores and ear-coverts O. perspicillata, 2 and juv., p. 377 



