178 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



THE COMMON EIDER (SOMATERIA 

 MOLLISSIMA). 



THIS gaily-plumaged but rather clumsily-formed 

 duck is a good example of the genus. It is com- 

 pletely maritime in habits, frequenting the sea 

 coasts or islands, and in its distribution is a northern bird. 

 In North America it is noted by many ornithologists, 

 but New York is usually the limit of its range southward. 



The plumage of the head is short and soft ; the forehead 

 and sides of the head running in a line with the lower 

 part of the eyes, and terminating in a narrow point 

 opposite the nostrils, rich bluish black, having in some 

 lights a deep bluish tint ; this is divided on the crown 

 from the line of the eyes backwards by a narrow line of 

 greenish -white ; the occiput and sides of the neck, with a 

 large patch rounded inferiorly pistachio green, the feathers 

 being rather long and still", capable of being raised at 

 will ; the cheeks, neck, back, and sides of the rump, pure 

 white ; breast, rich cream-yellow ; the wings above the 

 greater covers, scapulars, and tertials, white tinted with 

 straw-yellow ; the latter loose in their webs, and curved 

 over the wing ; the rump and upper tail-covers, belly, vent, 

 and under tail-covers, black ; the greater wing covers 

 short and black ; secondaries blackish-brown ; quills and 

 tail greyish-brown ; bill and legs greenish yellow. 



Among the small parties on our shores, many birds 

 are noticed of a piebald appearance, and are really 

 those that have not attained their complete dress, which 

 includes a period of four years, the time allotted by the 

 large majority of British writers. 



The female has a more subdued plumage altogether. 



