164 S U R F DUCK.
of Pictou, however informs me that none are seen in Nova Scotia in
summer. A gentleman of Boston, with whom I once' crossed the Atlantic,
assured me that , the species is extremely abundant on the northern
sh«es of the Pacific Ocean, and about the mouth of Mackenzie's
River. Doctor TOWNSEND mentions it as being ajso found on the Columbia.
It appears that a single specimen of the Surf Duck has been
procured on the shores of Great Britain; add this has induced iKe ornithologists
of that country to introduce i t as a constituent of its Fauna.
In alMt e individuals which f have examined, I have found the stomach
to contain fish of different kinds, several species of .shell-fish,
and quantities of gravel and sand, Some of the fragments being of
large size. Their flfesh is tough,' rank, and fishy, so as to he scarcelyfit
for food.
In the^ young males, in the month of September. the whole upper
plumage is" mottled with darkish brown and greyish-white, the latter
colour margining most of the feathers. The neck lias fc ('¿nsidtirablo -
extent of dull greyish-white, spread over two or three inches, and approaching
toward tho cheeks and throat. This colour disappears about
the beginning of January, when iliey become of a more uniform dark tint,
the upper part of the head brou tush-black, without any whitifsp'ot';
there is a patch of brownish-white at the base of the upper niarulibUi
on each side; another ;sfi an oblong form over the ear, and on the nape
are elongated greyisli-white marks; the bill and feet dusky green, the
iris brown.
Amb pratSMCiilAM, ©W tPi 'Sai vol: ¡. p. 201, • Lath. Ind, ORNHB. vol. ii.
p. a-17-
BLACK or S im DUCK, Mfe. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 4«, pi. 67, fig.3.
l?iri.i<!c:i.A PKHWICIIXATA, d. Har^arU, Synopsis of Birds of the l.nitod States,
p. 389. ••
OIDEMIA PIBSPMJJ.L.ATA, imifrdt, cmd SmtiM. Fajm. Bor. Amer. vol. a,;:|iS449-
BIACK or SUM DOTSK, JVWTIAIIJ Manual, vol. ii. P, 418.
A d # ' H a l f e Plate CCCXVI1. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, very broad, as deep as broad, at
the base* depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper mandible
with the dorsal outline convex and descending, before the nostrilsconcave,
on the unguis convex and decimate; the ridge broad and convex
a t the baSe ; the sides at the base erect, -bulging, and very broad,
towards the end convex, the: edges soft, with about 30 internal lamellae,
S U R F DUCK.
165
for two-thirds from the base they are nearly parallel and s taight , but
towards the end ascending, the unguis very large, somewhat macular
and rounded. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle long and
rather narrow, the dorsal line sightly convex, the edges with about 35
lamellae. Ifestfils .suBmediai, elliptical, large, pervious, near the ridge.
Head large, oblong, flattened above. JEyes of moderate size. Neck
short and thick. Body large, and much depressed. Fptohort, placed
rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly m
i t s 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 nearly double the
length of the tarsus, connected fey reticulated membranes having fl, ®
nus on their free margins, the inner with a lobed marginal membrane,
tho outer with a thick margin, the third and fourth about equal.and
longest. Claws: small, t&^fi f the first toe very small and curved, of
the mi,Idle Urn largest, with a. dilated inner edge, of « fci^s t slender,
all rather pbtusa, * I '
Plumage soft,, dense, blended,.an*' glossy Feathers on the head
and neck of. a velvety texture. Wings rather short, narrow, and pointed;
. primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the. first longest,
the second little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad
and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail very short, narrgH,.
wedge-shaped, of fourteen stiff, narrow, pointed featherfc-.
Upper mandible with a nearly square black patch at the base, margined
with orange, unless it, front, where there, is a patch of bluishwhite
extending to near the nostrils, prominent part over the nostrils
deep reddisfcorange, becoming lighter towards the unguis, and shaded
into rich yellow towards the margins ; the unguis dingy greyish-yel-:
low; lower mandible, flesh-coloured, unguis darker. Iris bright yellowish
white. Tarsi and toes orange-red, the webs dusky tinged with,
green; claws black. The plumage is of a deep black, glossed with blue.
On the top of the head, between the eyes, is. a roundish patch, of white,
and on the nape a larger patch of an elongated form.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws
22; extent of wings 33*; bill from the angle in front 14; from the prominent,
at the base 2*; along the edge of lower mandible ; wing
from flexure 9 f ; tail 3 | ; tarsus I ; first , toe and claw & ; outer toe,
and: d aw 2 | ; middle toe and claw U longer, Weight 2 lb. 7' oz.