ANSRRKS— AXATID.K 231 



over eye to nape ; flanks chestnut. Uill plumbeous j?rey, nail 

 paler. Ia-^^s and feet pale bluish. Iris reddish brown. 9 lirown, 

 mottled white on underparts, patches on face and behind car 

 coverts white. lidl duller than in ^. Legs and feet dull 

 plumbeous. Iris brown. Wing ^ 195-204, 9 i<>3-i97. Tarsus 

 36-38. Bill S 26-29, ? 24-26. 



Breeds. — Iceland, Greenland, and north-east N. America. 

 Rare visitor to Europe ; has occurred in Britain, Faroes, .Scandi- 

 navia, N. Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland and N. Italy. 



POLYSTICTA. 



Bill longer than tarsus; tail 14 feathers; plumage like 

 Eider Ducks. Sexes different. 



Polysticta stelleri (Pallas). Steller's Eider. 



ri Mead and wing coverts white ; throat, collar, back, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts blue black ; forehead and occipital tuft sea 

 green ; beneath, reddish buff, shading to dark brown on abdomen ; 

 secondaries (inner curved) and narrow pointed scapulars blue 

 with inner webs white. Bill bluish, tip white. Legs and feet 

 blue grey, webs dark grey. $ Dark brown with rufous margins, 

 more chestnut on breast, abdomen dusky, tips of greater wing 

 coverts white, speculum blue. Bill dusky blue. Legs and feet 

 dusky olive. Wing (^ 9 209-217. Tarsus 34-37. liill 36-40 (W.). 



Breeds. — Arctic Siberia east of Taimyr Peninsula, Alaska, 

 and Arctic America, doubtful in Europe (Varanger Fiord, Ribachi 

 Peninsula, and Murman Coast). Occurs in winter in small 

 numbers Norway, Sweden, Finland, N. Russia ; occasional 

 Denmark, Prussian Coast ; rare Britain, France, Italy. 



SOMATBRIA. 



Bill almost straight, about as long as head, high at base ; 

 frontal feathers terminate in three acute angles, lateral angles 

 reach a point nearly in middle of bill; tail 14-16 feathers. 

 Sexes different; fref^ueiU sea-coasts. 



Somateria mollissima mollissima (L.). Eider. Fr. 

 Eider ; dcr. Eidercnle ; S-,.<cil. Ejdcr. 



(^ White ; crown, rump, and tail coverts, lower breast and 



