KING EIDER. 



95 



brocding (Ui some small islands off the coast of Grand Menun, late in June, but the eggs 

 deposited then, were the second litter, the first being laid much earlier. The nests were 

 placed among some loose boulders, a short distance above high water mark, and did not con- 

 tain any more of the famous down than 1 have found in the nests of Black or other Ducks, 

 but this may be partly accounted for, by the fact that they contained the second litter, and 

 partly by the southern latitude, where the eggs would not require as warm a covering as 

 further North. 



SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS. 

 King Eider. 

 Somateria spectabilis Leacu., Fleming, Philos. Zool.; 18:3'2. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Cu. Form , robust. Size, large. Bill, considerably swollen at base, anil tlie fleshy covering projects ImekwarJ on 

 either side. Tertiaries, well curved outward. Color. Adult male. Top of head and nape, bluish-;ush. Sides of head, 

 pale bluish-green. Lower back and wings, very dark-brown glossed with greenish on secondaries Throat, neck uJ around, 

 and patch on wing and flank-;, white, the first tinged with creamy. Narrow margin at base of bill, small space around eye, 

 V-shaped mark on chin, and under portion, black, excepting the asillaries and middle under tail coverts which are white. 

 Bill, jiinkish, orange at base, iris, yellow, feet, dusky-orange. Adult female. General color yellowish-ash, becoming dark- 

 er below, banded with dark-brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Kn'iwn by the swollen base of bill which gives the head a peculiar appearance, and colors as described. Distributed, 

 in summer, from Labrador, northward, coming as far south as Massachusetts in winter, liut very rare below (jrand Menan. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens. Length, 22"50; stretch, 41'00; wing, lofi.'i; tail, 3 40; bill, rX"!; t.arsus, rT.'i. 

 Longest specimen, 2500; greatest extent of wing, 4'2'00; longest wing, 1125; tail, .'i'T.'j; bill, 140; tarsus, 1'85. Shortest 

 specimen, SOOO; smallest extent of wing, 4000; shortesi wing, lO'OO; tail, 300; bill, r25; tarsus, 1'65. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground near the water, comjiosed of sticks, lined with down. Eiji/s, from six to ten in numl>er, 

 elliptical in form, dirty green in color. Dimensions from r75x260 to rH0x2'05. 



HABITS. 



The King Eiders are one of the rarest Sea Ducks which occur on our New England 

 shores and they only appear in winter. They are, however, not uncommon about Grand 

 Menan and I was informed by the inhabitants of the Magdalen Islands, that the King 

 Ducks, as they were termed, were very common there in winter, and .so tame that they 

 could be killed with sticks. This species has similar habits to those of the preceding. 



GENUS XV. CEDEMIA. THE BLACK SEA DUCKS. 



(lEN. Cii. Bill, shorter than head, rather hiyh arid swollen at base, aiid somewhat rounded at tip. Marijinal indenln- 

 tiniis, open. 



The trachea is straight and without any special dilatation. The larynx in males is expanded and provided with a bony 

 frame-work. Colors, black. Stomach, mu.scular. Sexes, not similar. There are three species within our limits. 



CEDEMIA AMERICANA. 



Scoter. 



CEdemia Americana Sw.. F. Bor. Am., H, 1832, 450. 



DESCKU'TION. 

 Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, medium. Bill, rather sliort. Coi.oa. Adult male. Black througliout. Iris, brown, 

 feet, greenisli, and bill, black, orange on .swollen portion. Adult female. Brown throughout, paler on sides of head and 

 below where there arj ob-;cure spots of dusky. Youn^. Similar to the adult female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the absence of any white and short bill with yellow base. Distributed in -^iinmicr from Labrador, north- 

 ward ;\vintcring from Grand Menan to the (^arolinas. 



