ANATIP^. 



451 



4-^^., 



STELLER'S EIDER. 



SOMATERIA STELLERI (Pallas). 



This species, formerly called Steller's Western Duck, is an 

 inhabitant of the Arctic regions which occasionally wanders to the 

 temperate portions of Europe in winter, and has twice occurred in 

 England. The first example, a male in nearly adult plumage, was 

 killed on February loth 1830, at Caistor in Norfolk, and having 

 been afterwards presented to the Norwich Museum by the Rev. 

 George Stewart, formed the subject of Yarrell's illustration. The 

 second was shot while sitting alone on the sea off Filey Brigg. 

 Yorkshire, on August 15th 1845, by the late Mr. G. N. Curzon, and 

 is in the collection of his brother. Lord Scarsdale, at Kedleston, 

 where I have examined it. This bird was beginning to moult, the 

 white feathers on the head and the black marks on the chin and 

 neck — characteristic of the male — being just visible ; but the upper 

 parts are still in the immature plumage, which resembles that of 

 the female. 



Steller's Eider is said to have been obtained in 1855 betsveen 

 Calais and Boulogne ; it has been observed on several occasions at 

 Heligoland, and twice in Denmark ; while in the Baltic it is not 

 uncommon. To the unfrozen waters on the coast of Norway it 



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