ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — SOMATERIA. 83 



The Pacific Eider was found in large numbers on the coast of Norton Sound 

 by Mr. E. Adams (" Ibis," 1878, p. 434). Its Eskimo name is Mit-kok. The first 

 noticed near the redoubt of St. Michael's was on the 10th of May ; and soon after 

 these birds became quite numerous. They frequented all the marshes, but were 

 generally flying about ; they seldom alighted on a lake, but came straight in from the 

 sea, following the course of the rivers ; and after taking a few turns about the 

 marshes, they again Avent out to sea. They soon fixed upon their breeding-places, 

 and their nests were scattered over the whole of the marshes. One nest was Avithin 

 thirty yards of the fort, in the midst of children and dogs — the parent bird having 

 built her nest and laid four eggs before she was discovered. Yet these Ducks are 

 very wary, and difiicult to approach. On the wing they fly in a straight line, appear- 

 ing stupid, and often approaching within a few yards of the hunter. They are A'ery 

 swift on the wing, and can carry off a great quantity of shot. One pair built their 

 nest in a swampy hollow between two small lakes, and about twenty yards from one 

 of them ; this nest Avas placed in the midst of tall grass, and built of rushes and 

 grass, and Avell lined with feathers and down. By the latter end of May this pair 

 had laid six eggs ; and the female then began to sit. The male assisted in building 

 the nest, but not in the process of incubation. While building they AA^orked only 

 very early in the morning. When the female began to lay, both of them came in 

 from seaAvard a little before noon, and after a few turns round, as if to see that all 

 was right, both alighted in the lake. There they remained some little time, and 

 then the female Avalked off to her nest ; and very soon after her mate went out to sea. 

 In about an hour he came back to the lake, and his mate then joined him ; but she 

 was never known to leave her nest until she heard him cooing on the lake. They 

 remained there a short time, playing about and cooing, and then again went out to 

 sea, and did not return until the next day. When the female began to sit, her mate 

 came in every day and took her out to sea, and again accomi^anied her to the lake ; 

 but Avas never seen to approach the nest. The eggs had not been hatched at the time 

 Mr. Adams left the place. 



The principal food of this Eider is mussels and other small shellfish, for Avhich it 

 dives in from three to six fathoms of AA-ater. On one day Mr. Adams counted from 

 the fort two hundred and six of these birds feeding along the edge of the Avater in 

 the Bay ; and of the whole number only four Avere females. Their note very much 

 resembles the cooing of the European Wood Pigeon. 



This Duck is said seldom to Aveigh less than four pounds, and sometimes as much 

 as six. The eggs are generally six or seven in number, of a pale sea-green color, Avith 

 a tinge of olive. Eggs in the Smithsonian Collection, from Anderson Kiver (No. 

 9571), are of a uniform light grayish-green color, Avith an olive shade, and measure 

 from 2.95 to 3.20 inches in length, and from 1.95 to 2.10 in breadth. 



Somateria spectabilis. 



THE KING EIDER. 



Anns spectahiUs, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 123 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 19.5. 



Somateria spectabilis, BoiE, Isis, 1822, 564. — Sw. & EiCH. F. B. A. II. 1831, 447. — Baird, B. N. 



Am. 1858, 810 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 608. — CouES, Key, 1872, 293 ; Check List, 1873, no. 



515 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 736 ; B. N. W. 1874, 581. — Eidgav. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 629. 

 Fuligula {Somateria) spectabilis, Bonap. Synop. 1828, 389. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 414. 

 Fidigula sjKctahilis, Auu. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 523, pi. 276 ; Syuop. 1839, 291 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 



347, pi. 404. 

 Anas Bcringii, Gm. S. N. I. 1788. 508. 

 Atias superba, Leach, Syst. Cat. 1816. 



