120 
ANATIDvE. 
posterior half chiefly occupied by a nearly square black spot 
(7 lines in diameter) , in a ‘'setting/ as it were,, of three colours ; 
the portion of the mandible between it and the lateral base (a line 
in breadth) being carmine-red ; that above it, gamboge-yellow ; 
below it, white, of a pearly lustre, as it is anteriorly. Under 
mandible white, except towards the nail, where it is orange; 
nail, a mixture of white and brownish-orange. Legs and toes 
deep red, inclining a little to orange, and blotched more or less 
with black ; this latter being the colour of the webs and nails, 
with the exception of one nail, which is white. 
“ A very full description of the trachea of the surf scoter, with 
measurements of the different portions, is given by Audubon 
(vol. iv. p. 166), who correctly remarks, that it presents the same 
structure as that of the velvet duck (Oid. fused). 
“ The specific differences, however, seem to me worthy of being 
figured- — which, in so far as I am aware, has not yet been done — 
and for that purpose I have made a drawing of the trachea of the 
present specimen. This, for the sake of comparison with that of 
the velvet duck, figured by Yarrell, has been drawn on the same 
scale. It will be seen from my figure, that the surf scoter, as 
well as the species just named, exhibits within the upper expan- 
sion of the trachea “ an aperture on each side/' &c., as particu- 
larly noticed in the case of the velvet duck by Mr. Yarrell (B. B. 
vol. iii. p. 219, 1st edit., or p. 316, 2nd edit.).” 
The figure alluded to, and measurements of the different parts 
of the trachea, will be found in the ‘ Annals/ vol. xviii. p. 370. 
“ Although the peculiar form of the trachea, as well as the 
external characters generally, place this species next to the velvet 
scoter, yet in the form of the bill the two species differ very con- 
siderably. This difference has been admirably pointed out by 
Mr. Selby in the following words : — ‘In this species [Oid. per- 
spicillata\ the bill has not that flatness and expansion in front of 
the nostrils that are so conspicuous in Oid. nigra and Oid. fusca , 
but assumes, in a great degree, the characters of the succeeding 
genus Somateria (Eider), by the tip being suddenly contracted, and 
the nail (which is also more convex than in the other species) 
