72 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



cut, velvety-black Y-mark on the throat of the male 

 8. v-nigrum being at once unmistakable. 



This finaUj settled the identity of the two Eiders 

 received by Mr. Robinson and myself, but there still 

 remained the "Oldham bird," which had been pronomiced 

 so definitely to be a specimen of the Pacific Eider. 



I was unable to see this bird until last January, when 

 I found myself, in company with Mr. Robinson, in the 

 Oldham Museum. As I fully expected, we fomid this 

 specimen to be identical in every point with ours, and 

 therefore I am now in a position to state that the 

 supposed occiu'rence of >S'. v-nigrum in British waters is 

 an error. Below are details of the measurements of one 

 of the Orkney birds and a true ;S'. v-nigrum, collected for 

 me by C. K. Worthen, Warsaw, Illinois. 



COMMON EIDER {Soma- 

 teria mollisshnci) . Drake 

 shot on March 26th, 1906, 

 at Stromness, Orkney, N.B 



Age. — Third year, almost fully adult. 



Total length 245 inch. 



Wing llo „ 



Culmen 208 ,, 



Tarsus I'S ,, 



Length from tip of beak 

 to apex of frontal 

 angle 2-88 „ 



Width of frontal angle. "4 „ 

 r-MARK. 



Length from apex to 



base 1-6 „ 



Length of base '8 ,, 



Thickness of V ... ... -18 ,, 



>S'. V-NIGBUM. Adult Male 

 in full breeding plumage, 

 shot on June 3rd, 1905, in 

 Frankhn's Bay, North- West 

 Territory. 



Age. — Four years or over, being fully 

 adult. 



Total length 30-3 inch. 



Wing 11-3 „ 



Culmen 2"0 „ 



TarsKs 1'95 ,, 



Length from tip of Leak 

 to apex of frontal 

 angle 2"5 „ 



Width of frontal angle. '3 ,, 



r.MARK. 



Length from apex to 



base 3'3 „ 



Length of base 1'8 ,, 



Thickness of V '35 to '4 



The following points of difference between the males 

 of 8. v-nigrum and 8. mollissim.a should be carefully 

 noted : — 



