SOMATERIA FISCHERI. 569 
SOMATERIA FISCHERI (Brandt). 
[§ 5665. One.—St. Michael’s, Norton Sound (1866?). From 
the Smithsonian Institution, through Professor 
Baird. 
The accompanying ticket shews that this was one of eight eggs obtained 
by Mr. W. H. Dall, at “Canal near Redt.,” meaning, I suppose, the channel 
near the redoubt or fort. The number of the “parent” (whereby I presume 
she was killed) is 55449, but the time when the nest was taken is not given. 
According to Mr. Dall’s notes (Trans. Chicago Ac. Sci. i. p. 299), published in 
1869 :—“ This rare duck breeds only in the marshes between the Island of 
St. Michael’s and the mainland, which are intersected by a narrow channel 
called the canal. It is not found near the Yukon mouth, nor even a few 
miles north of the canal; nor, according to the repeated assertions of the 
natives, at any point on Norton Sound to the north of St. Michael’s. Its 
winter habitat is unknown, possibly Cook’s Inlet or Bristol Bay. It is not 
abundant, even at St. Michael’s..... A nest was discovered in the centre of 
a small pool in a marsh, built on a tussock just above the surface of the water. 
It was oval, lined with dry grass, and contained two eggs, which were 
surrounded and covered with down, evidently from the breast of the parent. 
The eggs are small for the size of the bird, of an olivaceous brown. There 
was a’number of others breeding in the vicinity, and also a number of the 
S. v-nigra.” The notes of Mr. H. M. Bannister, appended to the foregoing 
(luc. cit.), state that this species was “moderately common near Fort 
St. Michael’s,” and in habits is very like S. v-ngrum; but is, however, the 
shyer of the two, and the more difficult to observe on that account. “It breeds 
in the vicinity; its nest, as described by Mr. Dall (who saw two of them), and 
other parties, is a simple depression in a grassy hummock, without any lining 
other than the grass and a little down and feathers.” This egg was exhibited 
by me at the meeting of the Zoological Society on the 17th of January, 1871 ; 
but by some accident its name was printed in the ‘ Proceedings’ (p. 58) 
S. v-nigrum instead of S. fischeri, and its measurements (vide infra) were 
wrongly given. | 
[§ 5666. Two.— Siberia.” From Herr Dode, 1871. 
The promised information about these eggs was not supplied. According to 
Dr, Taczanowski (Faun. Orn. Sib. Orient. p. 1200) its breeding in Asia has 
not been determined, though it would seem probable, from its having been 
observed by Baron Nordenskjéld’s expedition on the Tchuski peninsula in 
May, June, and July, that it does breed there (cf. Palmén, Bidr. Sib. Ishafsk. 
Fogelfauna, p. 488). These two eggs measure 2°56 by 1:8 and 2°53 by 1°78, 
while Mr. Dall’s specimen (§ 5665) is only 2°39 by 1:57 in. ] 
