ANATIN.E — THE DUCKS — SOMATERIA. 73 



Region, Greenland, and west shores of Cumberland Gulf. Female: Wing, 10.75-11. GO 

 inches ; length of bill, from end of basal angle, 2.45-2.85. 



2. S. Dresseri. Similar to S. mollissima, but basal angle of the maxilla broad (.38-50 of 



an inch wide at widest part), and terminating in a broad convex end. Hab. Eastern 

 North America, from Maine northward to Labrador ; Newfoundland. 



3. S. V-nigrum. Male, with a large V-shaped mark of black on the throat. Female: Wing, 



11.75-12.50 inches ; length of bill, from tip to end of basal angle, 2.50-2.65. Hab. 

 Northwestern North America, and portions of Eastern Siberia. 

 II. Frontal feathers reaching forward as far as the nostrils ; feathering of the lores extending only 

 about half way to the nostrils. Male with the scapulars and tertials black, the top of the 

 head light grayish blue. 



4. S. spectabilis. Male, with a large V-shaped mark of black on the throat, as in S. V- 

 nigrum. Female: Wing, 10.50-11.25 inches ; bill, to end of basal angle, 1.20-1.30. 

 Hab. Circumpolar regions. 



Somateria mollissima. 



COMMON EIDER. 



Anas mollissima, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1708, 124 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 198. 



Somateria mollissima, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564, et Auct. (all quotations from Europe). — Kidow. Proc. 



U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 3, 1880, 204 ; Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 627.— Cor/ES, Check List, 2d 



ed. 18S2, no. 733. 

 Anas Cutkberti, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-As. II. 1826, 235. 



Somateria St. Cutkberti, Eyt. Cat. Br. B. 1836, 5S ; Mou. Anat. 1838, 149. 

 "Anser lanuginosus, Leach, Cat. 1816, 37" (<!iiay). 



Platypus borealis, Brehm, Lehrb. Eur. Vog. 1824, 813 (shores of Baffin's Bay and Davis' Strait). 

 > Somateria thulensis, Malmg. Kougl. Vet. Ak. Ofv. 1864, 380 (Spitsbergen). 

 Somateria danica, norwegica, platyuros, faeroeensis, megawos, islandica, bon ''lis, Leisleri, planifrons, 



Brehm, V. D. 890, 891, 892, 893, 894, 895, 896, 897. 



Hab. Northern part of the Pala?aretic Region ; Greenland ; breeding abundantly on western 

 shores of Cumberland Gulf (L. Kumlien, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 15, 1879, p. 89.). 



Sp. Char. Adult male : Pileuin deep blue-black, divided medially for the posterior half by a 

 stripe of white or greenish white, and extending anteriorly along the upper edge of the lores almost 

 to the limit of feathering on the latter ; upper part of the nape, and posterior part of the auricular 

 region, pale sea-green, this color sometimes extending anteriorly along the lower edge of the black 

 as l.ir aa the middle of the lores ; remainder of the head and neck, with entire back and scapulars, 

 tertials, all the wing-coverts, sides of the rump, and jugulum, white, tinged, except on head and neck 

 (most deeply on lack, scapulars, and jugulum), with yellowish cream-color ; breast pinkish cream- 

 color ; remaining lower parts, greater wing-coverts, secondaries, middle of the rump (longitudi- 

 nally), and upper tail-coverts, deep black ; primaries and rectrices brownish black. Lining of the 

 wing pure white. Bill dull olivaceous in the skin, orange-yellow with greenish yellow nail in 

 life ; iris dark brown ; legs and feet dusky grayish in skin, dusky orange in life. 1 



Adult female: Prevailing color brownish buff, everywhere, except on the head, neck, abdomen, 

 remiges, rectrices, and larger wing-coverts, barred with black, the liars broadest on the upper surface ; 

 head and neck streaked with blackish, the streaks finer and less distinct toward the throat, which 

 is almost immaculate ; larger wing-coverts, remiges, and rectrices plain grayish brown, the first 

 narrowly tipped with white ; abdomen and anal region plain, rather dark, grayish brown [No. 

 76180, Cumberland Gulf, June 6, 1878 ; L. Kumlien]. Young (full plumage, both sexes) : 

 Above, dusky, the feathers bordered (but not barred) with rusty brown or dull ochraceous, except 

 the greater wing-coverts, remiges, and rectrices, which are plain dusky, the first not tipped with 

 white ; head and neck dull grayish fulvous, streaked with dusky, the latter predominating on the 

 pileum ; lower parts barred with dull fulvous and dusky, the abdomen sometimes plain dusky. 



1 Fresh colors, fide L. Kumlien, MS. 

 vol. II. — 10 



