46 British Diving Ducks 
fore part of the neck is lighter in colour, whilst the lower part of the neck is black with light 
sandy bars. The mantle and breast are black with sandy-brown bars and edgings ; the 
breast and flanks being a rich red-brown ; the back is black, suffused with a purple gloss 
which extends to the lower feathers of the mantle; tail black and brown with purple 
suffusion ; speculum purple shading into black and white extremities ; secondary coverts 
dark brown with white on the lower parts ; lesser and median coverts blackish-brown 
without barred edgings. 
Scapulars brown with black centre, the long scapular feathers which form and overlap 
the speculum being brown on the upper half, greyish-white in the middle, and glossy bluish- 
purple on the lower half. 
Bill dull lead-blue with bone-coloured extremity. 
Feet reddish-brown with black webs. 
The above describes the dark form of the young male of Steller's duck, but as in nearly 
all birds, especially ducks, there is another form of much lighter colour. In the latter the 
whole of the sandy edges to the feathers are much paler and more clearly defined, whilst the 
whole of the uniform rich red-brown of the lower part and flanks are edged with light red 
brown bars, the dark brown of the wing too is also edged with light red or sandy- 
yellow. 
The above descriptions are taken from two immature males killed in November near 
Tromso, and presented to me by the late Professor Collett. 
The change in the young male proceeds slowly until February, when a general paleness, 
due to fading and outgrowth of the feathers, is noticeable. The long scapulars become more 
purple, and the chest is very much lighter, whilst the lower chest and breast takes on the 
first tinges of that rich sienna which is so great an ornament of the adult male. Above this 
part of the plumage one or two white feathers are seen in the upper scapulars, chest, or fore 
neck. In very advanced birds the black collar is now seen coming in on the neck with a 
few of the feathers in metallic blue ; the cheeks and crown are also much lighter, whilst the 
chin and throat may have assumed the new black feathers. But the most striking feature 
of spring change is seen in the arrival of six or seven of the beautiful long and curled 
secondaries of blue, black, and white, which are similar to those of the adult male, with the 
exception that they are tipped with a pale sandy-brown. A young male killed at Vadso 
(Finmark) on February 12, 1882, bears all the above characters, and is an unusually forward 
bird, since two other males killed in the same month have changed but little (except that 
they are paler) from the first plumage birds. 
Specimens of Steller's duck in immature plumage are rare, but I have been so fortunate 
as to obtain the loan of several from Professor Collett of the Christiania Museum, and 
amongst them is a very interesting young male killed in East Finmark on June 10, 1858. 
Its plumage shows that the progress of feather change in young male Steller's duck is 
practically similar to the young Eider drake. The whole plumage of this bird proves that 
very few new feathers have come in since the slight flush of new feathers in February and 
March. With the exception of some black feathers suffused with purple on the lower 
mantle, this bird is the same as it was in February, but with the whole of plumage, 
especially the light brown and sandy bars, much faded. The breast is more sienna-coloured, 
and the white of the upper chest and neck more pronounced (see Fig. 6). I have not seen a 
