A Synopsis of the Birds of North AmericaAudubon, John James
Science
A Synopsis of the Birds of North America
Audubon, John James
Birds -- Classification; Birds -- North America
Upper mandible with a soft tumid compressed substance at the base,
extending perpendicularly upon the forehead, and by a medial band of
feathers divided into two broad lobes; tail much rounded, of fourteen
stiff feathers. Male with the bill flesh-coloured. The sides of the
upper mandible and soft frontal lobes bright orange; band of feathers
separating the frontal lobes and margining their upper and posterior
edges, lower eyelid, and a forked patch on the throat, black; upper
part of head ash-grey; hair-like feathers on the sides of the head
pale bluish-green; fore neck cream-coloured; sides and hind part of
neck, a patch on the wings, and another on each side of the rump,
white; hind part of back, scapulars, large wing-coverts, and secondary
quills, brownish-black, the latter glossed with green; primary quills
and tail blackish-brown; breast and abdomen blackish-brown; lower
wing-coverts white, the outer brown. Female with the bill shorter,
pale greenish-grey, with the tumid basal lobes scarcely apparent, so
that the forehead is low; head and neck pale greyish-yellow, with
small lines of brownish-black; feathers of the back brownish-black
towards the end, with yellowish-grey edges; the scapulars brownish-red
on the margins; quills and tail-feathers deep greyish-brown; fore part
of neck, breast, sides, and lower tail-coverts, with a central mark
and submarginal band of brownish-black, the middle of the breast
scarcely spotted, being of the general colour of the lower parts,
which is pale yellowish-brown.
_Male_, 25; wing, 11-1/4. _Female_, 20; wing, 10-1/2.
Rare in Massachusetts during winter. Breeds from Labrador to the
Arctic Seas.
Fuligula spectabilis, Bonap. Syn. p. 389.
Somateria spectabilis, King Duck, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor.
Amer. v. ii. p. 447.
King Duck, Fuligula spectabilis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 414.
King Duck, Fuligula spectabilis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p.
523.
406. 11. Fuligula mollissima, Linn. Eider Duck.
Plate CCXLVI. Male and Female.
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