DIUDS — FULIGUUNAE — SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA. 809 



In giving the two well known species of this genus, I add a third, recently described by Gr. 

 R. Gray, from tlie northwest coast of North America. 



Common characters. — Colors white and black; head with a gloss of emerald green ; belly, 

 rump, and tail, black. 



White. Belly, rump, quills, and stripe on each side of head above eyes, black. Frontal 

 process on each side nearly in line with culmen ; rounded behind 8. molUssima. 



Similar to last ; with a V-shaped black mark on chin S. V-nigra. 



Black. Body and neck anterior to shoulders, middle coverts, inside of wing, patch on each 

 side the rump, white. Head above and nape bluish ash. Margin of frontal process and a 

 V-shaped mark on chin black. Frontal process of bill on each side bent abruptly upwards, out 

 of line with culmen, and sub-rectangular 8. spedahilis. 



SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA, Leach. 



Eider Dnck. 



Aiua mollvisima, Likn. Syet. Xat. I, 1766, 198.— Gmelin, I, 514.— Lath. Ind. n, 1790, 845.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 



lril4, 122; pi. lixi. 

 Somateria moUimma, Leach, Fleujing, Philos. Zool. 1822 7— Swainson, P. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 448.— Bos. List, 1838.— 



Brandt, Mem. Ac. St. Pet. Sc. Nat. VI, 1849, 5. 

 Aiua (Fuligula) moUissima, Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, 244. 



Ftdigvla (SomaUria) mollasima, Bon. Syn. 1828, 388.— Ndtt. Man. II, 1834, 407. 

 Platypus motUssimus, Brehm. 

 I\diffuta moUitaima, Auu. Orn. Biog. HI, 1835, 344 : V, 611, pi. 246.— Is. Syn. 291.— Ib. Birda Amer. VI, 1843, 349 ; 



pi. 405. 

 Aruu clUhbertii, Pallas. 



Somateria St. cuthbertii, Eytos, Mod. Anat. 1838, 149. 

 Eider, or Cuthbai Duck, Penramt. 



Sp. Ch. — ^Tail of 14 feathers. Prevailing color whit* ; the mider surface and sides of body, hinder part of back, rump, and 

 tail, black. Wings white on both surfaces, except the quills, which are black. Narrow margin inferierly of the frontal process 

 of bill and the forehead violet black, this color bifurcating opposite the middle of the oyc, and continued broadly on each side 

 the bead to the nape, the color extending a little below the eye ; the white below and behind the black glossed with transparent 

 emerald green ; the interspace white. Length, 26; wing, 11.24; tarsus, 1.82; commissure, 2.53. 



Bab. — Atlantic and Arctic coasts of northern hemisphere ; Pacific coast N. A. ? 



There is a faint tinge of purplish cream color in the white, especially conspicuous on the 

 breast and wings. The black of the back and belly is separated by white on the flanks. 



The tertials have a slight outward bend, but much less than in 8. spectahilis. The frontal 

 process of the bill is elongated and rounded behind, and about in a line with the culmen. 



List of specimens. 



Angnst 20, 1858. 



102 b 



