steller's western duck. 209 



drawing taken by himself from the bird at Norwich, I am 

 enabled to give an exact representation of the only British 

 killed specimen that I am acquainted with. It is a male 

 very closely approaching the perfect plumage of an adult. 



This species of Duck has now been killed three or four 

 times in Sweden, and once in Denmark. Professor Nilsson, 

 in his Fauna of Scandinavia, has given coloured figures of 

 both sexes ; and M. Temminck further remarks that it visits 

 the Eastern parts of the North of Europe, and has occasion- 

 ally wandered into Germany. 



It inhabits Asia and North America ; was originally de- 

 scribed, from specimens obtained by Steller, in Kamtschatka, 

 where it breeds upon rocks inaccessible to man. Dr. Latham 

 • mentions that there was a specimen formerly in the Leverian 

 Museum. Examples have been brought from the Western 

 side of North America, and it was in consequence called the 

 Western Duck, and A7ias occidua. The description of the 

 plumage of the adult male here given Avas taken from a 

 beautiful specimen in the possession of Mr. John Leadbeater. 



It is stated of this species that it flies in flocks, and never 

 enters the mouths of rivers. Its food is marine insects, with 

 mollusca naked and testaceous. 



It will be observed that some of the English authors 

 quoted under the figure of the bird, have considered it a Fu- 

 ligula, and have arranged it among the Pochards, not, how- 

 ever, without some doubts that this would probably be found 

 not to be its natural situation. The anatomy, which I believe 

 is as yet unknown, will at some future time indicate the pro- 

 per location ; but in its general character and appearance, with 

 its habit of breeding on high and steep rocks, it appears to 

 me to be more closely allied to the Eider Duck, and I have 

 accordingly placed it next in succession to that species. 



In the adult male the bill is brownish-black ; the irides 

 pale brown ; round the eye a narrow ring of black ; between 



VOL. III. P 



