SCATJP POCHARD. 
141 
condaries having short hlack tips, but with the 
base white, forming a light bar ; lesser covers tra- 
versed by white lines ; legs and feet bluish grey, 
webs darker. Among the flocks of scaups that 
frequent our coast, and among those brought to 
market, there are always at least two-thirds of them 
in brown plumage, considered as females and young 
males, and the adult female is described as having 
the head and neck deep umber-hrown, the lower 
parts of the neck and breast darker, the feathers 
edged with yellowish brown ; belly and vent white ; 
the upper parts brownish black, having the back 
and mantle mottled with fine zigzag lines of white ; 
tho base of the bill is surrounded with a broad 
white line. The above is nearly the description 
of the female in winter, but we have not seen the 
bird at the season of breeding. The young are simi- 
lar, but vary in the depth or distinctness of the 
markings. 
In our edition of Wilson’s North American Or- 
nithology, we stated onr suspicions that the Ame- 
rican birds, or at least a portion of them, were 
distinct from those of this country. There was a 
considerable difference in the size, and we consi- 
dered that the pencilling on the back and sides was 
more minute or delicate. Mr. Vigors, in the Zoology 
of the Blossom, experiences the same difficulty in se- 
parating the birds of that expedition from European 
species; but considered, if they should ultimately 
be made out distinct, that the American bird might 
bear the title of F. mariloides. The Prince of Ca- 
