Desckiptive List 81 



beautiful in the springtime, when the males chase the females about and all dive 

 from the air into the water." The Old-squaw is a common winter resident in our 

 open sounds and bays. About Cape Hatteras it is known as the "Knock Molly." 



"Late on the evening of an exceedingly cold day in December, 1902, the writer 

 entered Kitty Hawk Bay aboard a small sailing vessel. Scattered about the bay 

 were noticed perhaps fifteen Old-squaw Ducks. They exhibited little disposition to 

 fly and two specimens were shot from the boat. One of these was only wing-tipped. 

 The boat was jibed and a short pursuit followed. The bird swam rapidly ahead, 

 glancing frequently over its back, but did not attempt to dive." — Pearson. 



Wounded ducks of many species are to be found in North Carolina waters in 

 the spring after the iiorthward flight has passed. At New Inlet, on May 13, 1898, 

 Pearson secured such a bird, an Old-squaw in perfect summer plumage. The 

 specimen is now in the State Museum. 



This species may be regarded as very rare inland. Cairns took a male in Bun- 

 combe County in 1897. One was killed in Wake County in the winter of 1909-10 

 and brought in the flesh to C. S. Brimlcv. 



Fir.. .51. KiN-r; Eider (adult male). 



Genus Somateria (Leach) 

 61. Somateria spectabilis (Linn.). King Eider. 



Ad. <f. — Region about base of upper mandible and a large V-shaped mark on throat black: 

 top of head bluish gray; cheeks gi-eenish; neck all around white; front and sides of breast 

 creamy buff; upper back, .sides of rump, and wing-coverts white; rest of plumage black. Ad. 

 9- — Head and thro.-it buffy ochraceous, the former streaked with black; back black, the 

 feathers widely margined with ochraceous or rufous; underparts varying from brownish gray 

 to fuscous, more or less washed, especially on breast, with ochraceous or rufous. Im. — Paler 

 and with less ochraceous. L., 23.00; W., 10.80; Tar., l.SO; B., 1..30. 



Remarks. — The adult male of this species may at once be known by its bluish gray head 

 and the V-shaped mark on its tliroat. Females and young birds resemble those of the two 

 other species of eider, but are to be distinguished by the generally unstreaked throat and the 

 feathering of the side of the base of the bill, whicli in this species does not, as in the two 

 previously mentioned, reach to the nostril. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 

 6 



