SOMATERIA. 109 



neck streaked with the same. Length about 20.00-26.00. Eggs pale olive-buff, pale 

 dull olive-green or grayi.sh pea-green. 



n'. Anterior point of feathering on forehead reaching only about half-way from the 

 point of the naked angle on side of forehead to nostril ; feathering of lores 

 extending forward to at least beneath the posterior end of the nostril; 

 adult males with scapulars and tertials white, the top of head chieflj' black. 

 (Subgenus Somateria.) 

 6'. Distance from anterior point of loral feathering to extremity of naked angle 

 on side of forehead, usually greater than from same point to tip of upper 

 mandible ; adult male without any black on throat. 

 c^. Adult male with angle on side of forehead narrow and pointed ; black 

 of head bordered beneath by pure white, except at posterior 

 extremity only. 

 dK Adult male with bill dull grayish olive in life, the breast deeper, 

 more vinaceous, buff, the tertials less falcate; bill from poste- 

 rior end of nostril 1.65, angle from antei'ior extremity of loral 

 feathering to extreme point 1.46, depth of upper mandible (at 

 frontal apex) .92. Adxdt female with bill much heavier than in 

 the next, with nail larger and more strongly hooked ; bill from 

 posterior border of nostrils 1.47-1.53, angle 1.38-1.43, depth of 

 upper mandible .80-.90. Sab. Xorthern Europe. 



S. mollissima (Li>'X.). Eider.' 

 d". Adult male with bill orange-yellowish in life, the breast paler buff, 

 the tertials more stronglj- falcate; bill from posterior end of 

 nostril not more than 1.55, angle 1.38-1.52, its width across 

 middle not more than .30, depth of upper mandible .90-1.03. 

 Adult female: Bill from nostril 1.30-1.50, angle 1.20-1.40, depth 

 of upper mandible 0.78-0.95. Downy young : Above gravish 

 brown, fading gradually into paler grayish on lower parts, the 

 abdomen inclining to grayish white ; chin and a broad super- 

 ciliary stripe pale brownish, in strong contrast with a dark 

 brown stripe on side of head. Eggs 2.97 X 1-97. Hab. Eastern 

 Arctic America, including Greenland ; south to northern Lab- 

 rador in summer and to northern border of United States in 

 \nntcr. 



150. S. mollissima borealis (BrehmV Greenland Eider.' 



C*. Adult male with anirlo on side of forehead broad ami rounded ; black of 



head bordered beneath by pale green for nearly its entire length. 



Bill from posterior end of nostril 1.35-1.48. angle from anterior 



extremity of loral feathering 1.75-2.00, its width across middle 



' Fi^r references, ?ee Xo. 159. A. 0. IT. Check Li?t : the American bird proves to be not the tme S. molUtfimaf 

 h'twcvcr. but a fairly distinguishable race, cbaracteriied as above, 



» P'tt^pim hnrtnlit C. L. Brerv, Lehrb. Europ. Vog, 1324, 813. Somateria mollittima borealit A. E. Brehu, 

 Von. .Samml. Eur. Vog. 1366, 14. 



