466 ANATID^. 



as the Common Eider; and it is only to be found in any con- 

 siderable numbers in the regions which lie further to the 

 west. Sabine states that the King Eider was very abundant 

 in the North Georgian Islands, nesting on the ground in the 

 neighbourhood of fresh-water ponds, and feeding on the 

 aquatic vegetation. In winter it occurs as far south as the 

 latitude of New York, both on the coast and on the great 

 lakes ; and Mr. Henshaw has recently recorded it from Cali- 

 fornia. 



Its nesting habits are similar to those of the Common 

 Eider. Its eggs are subject to the same varied shades of 

 green, but in size they are decidedly smaller, measuring 

 about 2'6 by 1*9 in. 



The food of the King Eider consists chiefly of crustaceans 

 and mollusks ; and Mr. Collett says that in the stomach of 

 a bird shot at Stromso he found five uninjured specimens of 

 Pecten islandicus, the shells of which measured more than 

 an inch in diameter. The flesh of this Duck is, naturally, not 

 much esteemed, but the lump of fat at the base of the bill in 

 the adult male is considered a great delicacy by the Eskimo. 



The adult male has the beak reddish-orange, bounded 

 with a black line ; the irides yellow ; cheeks white, tinged 

 with green ; top of the head and the occiput bluish-grey ; 

 lower part of neck behind, the upper part of the back, and 

 the scapulars white ; lower part of the back, the rump, and 

 upper tail-covert black ; the point of the wing black ; wing- 

 coverts white ; all the wing and tail-feathers dark brown, 

 with a rufous tinge on the inner web ; the ends of the 

 elongated scapulars and inner secondaries fall in curves over 

 the wings ; under the chin is a chevron of black ; front of 

 neck and breast white, the latter tinged with creamy-buff"; 

 the lower part of the breast, the belly, and all the under 

 surface black, except a white patch on the flank ; legs and 

 toes orange-red, membranes darker. 



The whole length is twenty-four inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the longest quill-feather eleven inches 

 and a half. 



The female has the beak greenish-brown, and the whole 



