A ^A TW.E — FULIG UL IN.E : SEA D UCKS. 



935 



that of a young ^ shot on Long Island, acquired in 1879 by the Smithsonian Institution from 

 J. G. Bell. The bird became best known in the period, say, 1840-60; the authentic record 

 dwindles notably after the fifties, and ceases in 1875. The Grand Manan record of April, 1871, 

 is authentic, though the specimen is not extant. The Michigan record of April 17, 1872 (For- 

 est and Stream, May 4, 1876), is not authentic, neither is the Elmira, N. Y. record of Dec. 12, 

 1878 (Am. Nat. Feb. 1879, p. 128). A plate of the bird forms the well-known vignette on title 

 of Pennant's Arct. Zool. ii, 1785. A pair, adult ^ ? , procured by Daniel Webster, " Vineyard 

 Island," Mass., served for Audubon's description and plate, Orn. Biogr. iv, 1838, p. 271, 

 pi. 332; for Baird's description, B. N. A. 1858, p. 803; and for mine of 1884, substantially 

 as above; these are now in the U. S. Nat. Mus. Nos. 1792 J', 2733 9 ; together with two 

 mounted specimens. No. 61,300 ^, and No. 77,126, the young ^ above said to have been 

 killed on Long Island in 1875 — the last known of the species. In England $200 was 



Stcller's Duck. iKr..iii •• WiLl K..ul i,i N.inii Ai 



.'. I), (i. Kill.. I. 



offered for a good pair in 1884. The extinction of ti\e species is credibly believed to have 

 been due to extirpation by human agency. 



HENICONET'TA. (Gr. fPiKos, henikos, single, i.e. singular, peculiar, particular; ufj-rra, 

 nctla. a duck.) Stkli.krias. General characters those of Eiders (see Somnteria, beyond), 

 more nearly tlian tlmse of Camptohcmus even, and little dift'ereiil except in lackinu special gib- 

 bosity of the bill and any unusual shape or outline of the frontal feathers. Bill imt feathered 

 to the nostrils, its tomial edges dilated and leathery, its width at base much less than half its 

 cuhninal length. Wing with metallic speculum set between white bars ; head of ^ tinged 

 with sea-green like an Eider drake's ; feathers of cheeks stiffish, those of occiput tufted ; sys- 

 tem of chiefly black and white coloration of $, and sexual dilfereiices, much as in Somnteria. 

 I gave this as a subgenus of Somnteria in all former editions of the Key, there stating, how- 



