Fuligula perspicillata, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 389.
Oidemia perspicillata, Richards. and Swains. Faun. Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 449.
Black or Surf Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 416.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXVII. 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 nostrils concave, on the unguis convex and declinate; the ridge broad and convex at the base; the sides at the base erect, bulging, and very broad, towards the end convex, the edges soft, with about 30 internal lamellæ, for two-thirds from the base they are nearly parallel and straight, but towards the end ascending, the unguis very large, somewhat triangular and rounded. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle long and rather narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about 35 lamellæ. Nostrils submedial, elliptical, large, pervious, near the ridge.
Head large, oblong, flattened above. Eyes of moderate size. Neck short and thick. Body large and much depressed. Feet short, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its 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 by reticulated membranes having a sinus on their free margins, the inner with a lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, that of the first toe very small and curved, of the middle toe largest, with a dilated inner edge, of the rest slender, all rather obtuse.
Plumage soft, dense, blended, and 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, narrow, wedge-shaped, of fourteen stiff, narrow, pointed feathers.
Upper mandible with a nearly square black patch at the base, margined with orange, unless in front, where there is a patch of bluish-white extending to near the nostrils, prominent part over the nostrils deep reddish-orange, becoming lighter towards the unguis, and shaded into rich yellow towards the margins; the unguis dingy greyish-yellow; 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 1/2; bill from the angle in front 1 1/2; from the prominence at the base 2 1/2; along the edge of lower mandible 2 5/12; wing from flexure 9 3/4; tail 3 3/4; tarsus 1 7/12; first toe and claw 11/12; outer toe, and claw 2 1/4; middle, toe and claw, 1/2/12 longer. Weight 2 lb. 7 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXVII. Fig. 2.