x::l July, 1395, »/>•*«“£' 
i ? — In separating the American bcai 
Aythya marila or A. m. n'eafcfita ? — In separating the American Scaup 
Duck as a subspecies from its European cousin Dr. Stejneger (Orn. Expl. 
Kamtsch., 1885) gives as the characteristic difference between the two 
forms the coloring of the primaries from the fourth quill, which have “ a 
distinct white area on the inner web ” in A. marila, and “ a grayish — but 
not white — area on the inner web” in A. m. nearctica. A. marila has 
not, I believe, been as yet recorded from this country. 
Early in December last Mr. A. H. Verrill called my attention to the 
extensive white spaces on the primaries of a male Scaup Duck, which had 
been sent him by Mr. E. M. Cooper of Stony Creek, Conn., whom we had 
asked to forward us, ducks in the flesh, and suggested that it might be 
the European bird. We determined to investigate the subject, and re- 
quested Mr. Cooper to send us male Scaup Ducks noticeably white on the 
primaries. The following small series was selected by Mr. Cooper in 
accordance with our wishes, all having been killed at Stony Creek on or 
about the dates given with the specimens, and most of them having been 
shot by Mr. Cooper himself. 
In the following descriptions of this bird I have merely attempted to 
point out the main differences between them, giving particular attention 
to the coloring of the light spaces on the primaries. 
No. 1330, Coll. L. B. Bishop, Dec. 15, 1894. Interscapulars brown 
spotted with white, with a few black feathers spotted with white inter- 
mixed. Feathers of chest whitish barred with brown and tipped with 
white, a few black feathers interspersed ; flanks white heavily vermicu- 
lated with black, mixed with many entirely brown feathers ; abdomen 
posteriorly hair brown with most of the feathers tipped with white. 
Rump, tail-coverts and tail brown with many black feathers interspersed, 
under tail-coverts tipped with white. Pale space on inner web of prim- 
aries becoming distinctly white only on the inner edge of the basal por- 
chest, and only one brown feather on left flank ; black vermiculation of 
flanks more distinct. No white-tipped feathers on under tail-coverts. 
White distinct on inner web of all the primaries but narrow on ninth 
and tenth, and on outer web of inner six. 
No. 1354, Coll. L. B. Bishop, Jan. 11, 1895. Like last, except faint edg- 
ing of white on posterior feathers of chest; flank pure white faintly 
vermiculated with black. Inner web of all the primaries with large space 
of pure white extending on six inner quills well toward tip of feather, 
the white mixed with a little gray on ninth and tenth feathers; outer 
webs distinctly white on six inner quills. 
In comparing these specimens it will be noticed that they vary greatly 
in the coloring of the inner webs of the primaries, Nos. 1330 and 1329 
coming fairly under the head of A. m. nearctica, Nos. 134S, I 349 > anc ^ I 35 ° 
being intermediate, and Nos. 1328 and 1354 typical examples of the old 
world form A. marila. If, however, all except Nos. 1328 and 1350 are left 
out of consideration on account of their obviously immature plumage the 
