EIDER. 227 



cures on the bottom, often at great depths. The flight is 

 low and performed in Indian file, each bird following at 

 a regular distance from the one in front, and by regular 

 flaps and sailings of the wings. The males make a sort 

 of cooing sound, especially when sitting near the shore 

 during the breeding season, and the females often leave 

 the nests for a short time and join them. Although 

 breeding, and not uncommon, in various parts of 

 the eastern Arctic regions in North America, it can- 

 not be said to appear often, at least in any considerable 

 numbers, on our Atlantic coast much south of the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, but is supplanted there by its near ally 

 the American Eider. Both are large Ducks of about 

 equal size, and on the wing it would be impossible to dis- 

 tinguish one from the other. As an article of food, the 

 Eider cannot be said to take very high rank, but from 

 the nature of its diet has a fishy, unattractive quality of 

 flesh. The eggs are said, however, to be palatable. 



SO MATER I A MOLLISSIMA. 



Geographical Distribution. Northeastern coast of North 

 America, south to Massachusetts; Greenland, northern part of 

 Eastern Hemisphere. 



Adult Male. Top of head, velvety black, with a white stripe 

 in the center of the occipital region. Nape and posterior part of 

 the auricular region, sea green; cheeks, neck, chin, throat, back, 

 lesser and middle wing coverts, falcate tertials, and a large patch 

 on either side of rump, pure white. Greater wing coverts and 

 secondaries, brownish black. Primaries, pale brown. Lower 

 part of back, rump, upper and under tail coverts, and entire 

 under parts below the breast, deep black. Breast, pinkish cream 

 color. Sometimes the back and scapulars are tinged with yel- 

 lowish. Tail, pale brown, like the primaries. Bill, olive green; 

 sometimes with an olive yellow shade; nail, greenish yellow. 

 Legs and feet, olive green. Total length, about 22 inches; wing, 

 12; bill, culmen, i^; from tip to end of frontal angle, 2}; 

 greatest width of angle, 30; tarsus, i-^. 



