46 
THE VELVET DUCK. 
plumage, and the rich colouring of the bill. The gizzard, which is not so 
large as that of the Eider, is of a yellow colour ; the gut very large, tough, 
and strong, about eight feet in length. 
Velvet Duck, Anas fusca, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. viii. p. 137. 
Fuligula fusca, Bonap. Syn., p. 390. 
Oidemia fusca, Velvet Duck, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 449. 
Velvet Duck, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 419. 
Velvet Duck, Fuligula fusca , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 354. 
Male, 22, 39. Female, 22, 38. 
From the coast of Georgia eastward to Nova Scotia, during winter, when 
it is extremely abundant in all the estuaries and bays. Breeds from 
Labrador northward. 
Adult Male. 
Bill about the length of the head, very broad, as deep as broad at the base, 
depressed and flattened towards the end, which is rounded. Upper mandible 
with a short abrupt prominence at the base, its dorsal line on the prominence 
sjraight, at its fore edge abruptly sloping, then slightly concave, and at the 
end curved, the ridge on the prominence very broad aryjl nearly flat, towards 
the end broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges obtuse, with about 
thirty lamellae, the unguis very large, and elliptical. Nostrils sub-basal, 
elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge, and placed 
on the lower side of the basal prominence. Lower mandible flat, with the 
angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the 
edges with about twenty-five lamellae, the unguis nearly circular and very- 
large. 
Head large. Eyes rather small. Neck of moderate length, thick. Body 
large, and much depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very short, placed 
rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its 
whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a partial 
series, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe small, with 
a free membrane beneath ; anterior toes double the length of the tarsus, 
united by reticulated membranes having a sinus on their free margins, the 
inner with a lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thick edge, the 
third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, that of first toe 
very small and curved, of middle toe largest, with a dilated inner edge, of 
the rest slender, all obtuse. 
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head 
extremely small, on the neck velvety. Wings rather short, narrow, pointed ; 
primary quills curved, strong, tapering and pointed, the first longest, the 
second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated • secondary broad and 
