122 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



close of the past century, for the last living bird of which we have deiinite knowledge was 

 killed near Long Island, New York, in the autumn of 1875' 



35. Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). 

 King Eider. 



Casual visitor in early winter. 



On the afternoon of December 4, 1893, Mr. George B. Frazar saw three 

 large Ducks flying over Lower Mystic Pond. They alighted near the middle 

 and soon swam inshore, diving at frequent intervals. By making short, quick 

 runs when they were under water and concealing himself before they reappeared, 

 Mr. Frazar approached within gun-shot of the birds and disabled two of them, 

 which he had to shoot at many more times before finally securing them, for 

 they were exceedingly tenacious of life. They proved to be King Eiders. The 

 third bird, without doubt, was of the same species. It flew out over the pond 

 and re-alighted, but was not afterwards seen. The ground, at the time, was 

 covered with snow ; the weather was clear and very cold with a violent north- 

 west wind. 



One of the specimens just referred to is now in my collection. It shows a 

 good deal of black on the scapulars and sides, and in these respects resembles the 

 young male of the King Eider, but it is small for a bird of that sex and Mr. 

 Frazar, who dissected and mounted it, was probably right in marking it a female. 

 The other specimen, mounted by Mr. Morton E. Cummings, in whose pos- 

 session I have lately seen it, is a plain brown bird and unquestionably a young- 

 female. 



The only other instance known to me of the occurrence of the King Eider 

 at any inland locality in Massachusetts is that, reported^ by Mr. Bent, relating to 

 a young bird taken at Nippenicket Pond in Bridgewater on October 21, 1899. 

 I suspect that the species visits our seacoast oftener than is generally supposed, 

 although perhaps not regularly, and certainly by no means numerously. My col- 

 lection contains seven Massachusetts specimens, of which two young birds (a male 

 and female) were shot on January 6, 1875, off Revere (formerly Chelsea) Beach 

 and hence not far from the eastern borders of the Cambridge Region. 



1 W. Dutcher, Auk, VIII, 1891, 204, 210, 213; XI, 1894, 9. 

 2A. C.Bent, Auk, XIX, 1902, 196. 



