Scaup Duck is well known in ike United States, and the
accounts of the American ornithologists, Messrs. Wilson,
Audubon, and Nuttall, appear to refer to ike species which
immediately precedes the present subject in this work. Sir
William Jardine, however, in'Kis edition of Wilson’s American
Ornithology, -vol. iii. page 106', in a note appended to
the history of the Scaup, makes the following remark:—“ Common
also to both Continents, and. m, Britain a Most abundant
sea-duck. Though, generally to be found in the poultry-markets
during winter, it is- strong and:ill-flavoured,: or whatsis
called fishy, and of little, estimation for, the tabled In the
Northern Zoology, the American specimens are said tpt&e
smaller, but no other distinctions could be|? perceived; a
single northern specimen,which I possess^agrees nearly with
the dimensions given of the smaller kind, and I can „sefe rno
other important difference; »ibut there are also -larger-sized
birds, known to the patives^by the additioneof keetdhee'to the
name, and I think it probable that two birds may be here ,
confused, which future observations'will allow us toeseparatgi”
Dr. Richardson’s remarks 'onTheiScaup Duck in the Fauna
Boreali-Americana., are -as follows : —“ Our ■ sp^imend;:are
smaller than English ones.killed in the'winter, the head, bill,'
wings, and legs, in particular, being proportionally smaller,
and the bill less high at the base.'—A variety, nearly corresponding
with the English'one in isiz€f,ds also found iinthe
fur-countries, where it is distinguished by? the/ epithet'jdf
keetchee "(ibi^er)-: ;but an: attentive-examination of a number
of specimens, disclosed no peculiaritiesiWhich could characterise
if as a distinct species, except 'its. .size; 5 The undulated
markings on the back and wings are. darker, and less
extended than in-the English- specimens.- Mr.. Swainson adds
: in a note at the bottom of the page,*“ one of these varieties
(if such they be) is cdmmon upon the lakes of Mexifco:”^.
The late Mr. Vigors, who wrote the ornithological portion
of the volume published on the various subjects in ;Zoology
obtained during a voyagé to the Pacific and Behring’s Straits,
pôerformedv in H.M.S: Blossom, under the command of Captain
-F. W i Beechey, appends the following remarks to his
notice of our Scaup Duck at page 81 :—
; Several .specimens>.of a ibird nearly allied to this species,
if,hot;the same, were brought home by the expedition. They
uniformly differ fromffthe^typical Fuligula marila in their
smallmbizè*;: :in vth'^fefaick colour on the breast being less intense
and defined'; in the ^undulating white markings being
ij^s#diffuse,d over th é 'scapulars and back, and being: wanting
a l m o s t ? thé”wing-coverts. Dr. Richardson, whose
judgment on )stheséïlp®in;tS, ' arid whok#, experience respecting
-theddfds cHçj-thefc Atctie. jegtons, entitles.? him to . every confidence,
is inclined't®?; Consider but as a variety of
the European Ispeciest Following his opinion^! refrain from
desbribingsthem? àsîisfeparate^I t is^however,'to be observed,,
thati.the;drue Fuligmlaàmërila! 'i&ffound diiü North America,:
and ther^ihid^^tarmson^ tô B e lnH p é ' -Ibirds alluded to above1
j fo be-varietiès: resulting' from climate' or -locality.' ‘ Should the
sftesieçiprove to be distinct, the spécifie name p imtovilozdes,
wh-tefoghas been jsbggested^l^ Dr. Richardson, would be ap-
propfiâtè^”jÉt.
I hla^^feblk^ehntMeito, find Dr. Richardson’s suggestion
ofvthe name marildides, (Sèaup-like,)-except in the quotation
,here m ade,iiapd»texaminati6n' o f‘ more examples of the bird,
than.'the ^single ode here figured,-may be considered necessary
to decide tbat this Duckas distinct from the Scaup Duck* I
have, hèwever, adopted-the name provisionally.
&£©he bill is:bluê;$bcpual in breadth throughout, the sides
being "parallel ; th e ' hides1* yellow ; head, cheeks, and upper
part of the neck all round rich Orleans plum-colour, but with
more of red tbân purplet^lower part of the neck, and upper
part of the breast,‘”j:et black ; all the back, scapulars, small
wing-coverts, .and tertials, one uniform tint, produced by fine
black transverse lines on a ground colour of greyish-white ;