272 VERTEBRATES : BIRDS. 



top of the head, and one on the nape ; bill red. The 

 female is brown, sides and under parts whitish. 



The Long-billed Scoter, P. Trowbridgii, Baird, of 

 Southern California, is much like the preceding. 



The Genus Oidemia has the bill much swollen at the 

 base, and the terminal portion much depressed, and very 

 broad. The Scoter, O. americana, Sw., of the coast of 

 North America, is nearly twenty-four inches long, and 

 the wing over nine inches ; color black. The Huron 

 Scoter, O. bimaculata, Baird, of Lake Huron, is eighteen 

 and a half inches long, and the wing ten and a half inches. 



The Genus Somateria has the bill much compressed, 

 tapering, and terminated by an enormous nail. 



The Eider Duck, 5. mollissima, Leach, of the Atlantic 

 and Arctic coasts, is twenty-six inches long, the wing 

 about eleven and a quarter inches ; prevailing color white ; 

 under parts, rump, tail, quills, and stripe above the eye, 

 black. It is an expert diver, often going down in search 

 of food eight or ten fathoms. The celebrated eider-down 

 is obtained from the nest of this species, the birds having 

 plucked it from their breasts to place around their eggs. 



The King Eider, 5. spectabilis, Leach, of the Arctic 

 regions, is twenty-one and a half inches long, and the 

 wing nearly ten and three quarters inches ; colors black 

 and white. The females of both these species are mainly 

 brown. 



The Pacific Eider, 5. V-nigra, Gray, has a V-shaped 

 mark on the chin. 



The Genus Erismatura has the bill much depressed 

 and bent upwards ; tail of eighteen very stiff feathers. 



The Ruddy Duck, E. rubida, Bonap., of North Amer- 

 ica, is sixteen inches long, and the wing about six inches ; 

 chestnut-red above, grayish white below. 



The Black Masked Duck, E. dominica, Eyton, of Lake 

 Champlain, is an additional species. 



