262 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



male has the forehead and crown black, with a line of white 

 on the hind crown ; nape, emerald green, with a divisional 

 line of white between a green patch on each side of the 

 neck; throat, white; upper breast, rich buff; under parts, 

 black, showing a white spot on each side of vent ; lower 

 back, rump, upper tail-coverts, primary-coverts, greater 

 wing-coverts, and secondaries, black; quills and tail, dark 

 brown ; irides, hazel-brown ; bill, olive-green ; legs and feet, 

 olive-green. Length, from twenty-four to twenty-six inches. 

 The female is principally brown and black. 



Steller's Eider. 



Steller's Eider {Somateria stellej-i^ Pallas) is an exceed- 

 ingly rare nomadic autumn and winter migrant to the British 

 Isles. It inhabits the North-Eastern Palearctic Region, and 

 probably the extreme North-Western Palearctic Region. 

 The adult of this eider is easily distinguished by a black 

 ring (which is glossed with purple and green) round the 

 neck ; the elongated secondaries, which are white on the 

 inner and bright blue on the outer webs ; the wing-speculum, 

 which is bluish-purple ; and a black spot on each side of 

 the breast. Irides, hazel ; bill, dark slate ; nail, lighter ; 

 legs and feet, brownish-grey. Length, from eighteen to 

 nineteen inches. The adult female has the upper parts 

 brown ; under plumage, blackish on abdomen ; speculum, 

 dull bluish-purple. (P. 263.) 



