THE VELVET-SCOTER 
Oidemia fusca (Linnasus) 
Anas fusca, Linn., Syst. Nat., ed. x., I, p. 123 (1758). 
Anas nigra major, Briss., Orn., vi. p. 423 (1760). 
Anas fusca, Linn., Syst, Nat., ed. xii. I, p. 196 (1766). • 
La double macreuse, Buff., Hist. Nat. Ois., ix. p. 242 (1783). 
Anas fuliginosa, Bechst., Gemeinn. Naturg. Deutsch., 2nd ed., iii. p. 962 (1809). 
Melanitta fusca (L.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 564. 
Oidemia, Flem. {Anas nigra et fusca), Phil, of Zool., ii. p. 260 (1822). 
Oidemia fusca (L.), Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool., xii. pt. ii. p. 216 (1824). 
Platypus fuscus (L.), C. L. Brehm, Lehrb, Naturg. eur. Vog., ii. p. 822 (1824). 
Anas carbo, Pall., Zoogr. Rosso-As., ii. p. 244 (1827). 
Melanitta hornschuchii, C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., p. 904 (1831). 
Melanitta megapus, C. L. Brehm, op. cit., p. 906 (1831). 
Melanitta platyrhynchos, C. L. Brehm, op. cit., p. 907 (183 1). 
Fuligula fusca (L.), Degl., Orn. Eur., ii. p. 472 (1849). 
Oedemia fusca (L.), C. L. Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 383 (1855). Yarrell, Dresser, Saunders, &c. 
Oedemia megapus et O. platyrhynchos, C. L. Brehm, op. cit., p. 384 (1855). 
Oidemia fusca fusca (L.), Authors' Hand-list of Brit. B., p. 145 (191 2). 
Local Names. — Velvet-Scoter, Velvet duck, Great Black duck {English) ; Grande-Macreuse {French) ; 
Sammetente, Sammet-Trauerente {German) ; De groote Zeeeend, Zv^arte noordsche duiker {Dutch) ; 
Floielsand {Danish) ; Sjo-orre, Havorre {Norwegian) ; Svarta, Svart, Svartkar, Svartand, Doppand 
{Swedish) ; Ckoarra {Lappish) ; Pilkkasiipi {Finnish) ; Barsunasti Turpan, Patkakalasica {Croatian) ; 
Kachna temna {Czechish) ; Germane di Mare, Anitra vera, Oreo marino {Italian) ; Kaczkauhla 
{Polish); Tjulpan, Turpan, Nyrok-sirok ; Morell dtl mzx {Spanish) ] Kuro-tori {fapanese). 
Egg. — 6 to 10 as a rule, but clutches of 11 have been recorded. Simonson says that 
clutches of 10 to 14 may be met with. Oval in shape, creamy- white with a warm apricot " 
tinge when fresh, which fades after a time. Average size of 90 eggs, 70.8x47.9 mm. 
(2.78x1.88 inches). Max., 76.5x49.5 and 71.2x51.5; min., 64.3x46.9, and 68.3x44.8 
mm. (F. C. R. Jourdain). 
Rey gives the average weight as 6.977 grn^s., varying from 5.92 to 9.05 grms., while 
Goebel gives the average weight of 42 eggs as 6.89 grms. 
Down. — Dull dark brown, usually with indistinct light centres, but apparently mixed 
with a small quantity of lighter down (F. C. R. Jourdain). For figures of the nest feathers 
see H. Noble, Brit. Birds, ii. (pi. ii. figs. 15, 16). Notes on the down are also to be found 
in ZooL, 1906, p. 374. 
Young in Down. — Crown, nape, back of neck, and sides of the head, to a line taken from 
the base of the lower mandible, dark brown ; a whitish spot below the eye ; chin, top of neck, 
and sides of throat, white ; upper back dark brown, with a slight olivaceous tinge. Small 
whitish patch of down on the wings ; under parts dull -greyish white, lightest in centre of 
the belly ; upper breast crossed by a brown band ; bill slate-brown, feet and legs lead-black. 
The specimen in Mr. Gronvold's plate is taken from a Norwegian bird. 
Immattire Male. — The young male and female in first plumage are almost exactly 
similar, except that the young male is slightly larger and the feathers on the upper parts 
VOL. IL 65 J 
