BRITISH BIRDS. 
3^3 
mage, excepting a white ftroke or band which croffes 
the clofed wings in an oblique diredion, is of a foft 
fmooth footy black, gloffed with a caft of purple on 
the head, upper part of the neck, and Ihoulders, and 
inclining to brown on the fides, belly, and vent : 
the outer fides of the legs and toes are of a fine 
crimfon colour ; the inner fides deep yellow ; the 
webs and nails black ; and the joints of both legs 
and toes look as if they were ftained or befpattered 
with ink : the tail, confifting of fourteen feathers, 
is fliort and pointed. The female is without the 
protuberance on the bafe of the bill, and has a 
white fpot behind the ears, and her plumage is 
more inclined to brown. 
Thefe birds are natives of the northern parts of 
the world, where they rear their young, and con- 
tinue during the fummer months, but retire fouth- 
ward in winter, at which feafon they are met with 
in greater or lefs numbers, and according to the fe- 
verity of the weather, approach towards the tem- 
perate climates of Europe, Afia, and America. In 
the latter quarter they are frequently feen as far 
fouth as New York, and fpread themfelves in fmall 
numbers along the fliores of weftern Europe, as far 
as France, where they fometimes appear in com- 
pany vifith the large flocks of Scoters, and are often 
caught in the filhermen’s nets with thofe birds ; but 
they are feldom met with on the Britilh Ihores. 
S s la 
