APPENDIX.-F. 
361 
deck of the Steamer, then at her moorings, in the harbor of 
Penetanguishine, one morning late in September, when an Indian 
came alongside, offering some wild fowl for sale, which we pur¬ 
chased. There were, if I remember rightly, among the birds 
thus procured two or three Widgeons— Anas Americana ; one 
or two Bufifel-headed Ducks— Ams Albeola ; a black—more 
properly, dusky—Duck, Anas Obscura —and the bird in question. 
My attention was called to it by my brother asking what Duck 
it was, when I at once replied that I was ignorant of it entirely, 
and believed it to be a nondescript. I was confirmed in this 
opinion by finding that it differed in many essential points from 
all the Ducks to which it evidently bore affinity— videlicet , the 
coarser fuligula , or Sea-Ducks commonly known on our coast 
as Coots , and rarely, some say never, found on fresh water ponds 
or streams. These are the Velvet Duck, fuligula fusca —the 
Surf Duck, or Black Duck, fuligula perspicillata —and the 
American Scoter, fuligula Americana. 
All these it resembles in general characteristics, form, and 
coloring; but from all it is distinguished by inferiority of size, 
and yet more by the coloring and formation of the bill, as well 
as in other particulars. Without further preamble, I shall pro¬ 
ceed to its description. 
Adult Male: 
Bill a little shorter than the head, a little higher than broad at 
the base, depressed and widened toward the end, and termina¬ 
ting, on the upper mandible, with a broad, decurved, semicircu¬ 
lar unguis. Dorsal outline, with the feathered frons encroaching 
above one-third of its length, steeply decimate in a straight line, 
then depressed, and suddenly decurved. Lower mandible flattened, 
and slightly recurved, terminating in a wide flat unguis. Both 
mandibles deeply and numerously laminated. Nostrils nearly 
medial between the frons and tip, nearer to the tip than to the 
angle of the mandibles by nearly od e-fifth. 
Head large, oblong, high at the corona, then depressed, rising 
again at the occiput, with the frons decimate on a line with the 
dorsal outline of bill. Neck rather short and thick. Body 
broad, full, and much flattened. Wings and legs both set rather 
