316 ANATIRE. 



The Velvet Duck is included by Miiller among the Birds 

 of Denmark ; Mr. Hewitson saw it in the western part of 

 Norway; and the memorandum of this species in Scandi- 

 navia, supplied me hy Richard Dann, Esq., is as follows : 

 " This Duck is common during the summer months in the 

 interior of the whole of Scandinavia, north of lat. 60. It 

 frequents and breeds on the large lakes in the mountainous 

 districts, especially those of which the shores are flat and 

 boggy, and covered with vegetation. In Lapland it is com- 

 mon everywhere. The eggs are much sought after by the 

 Laps. These birds are also common in the Dofre Fiel, ap- 

 pearing at the latter end of May. They hatch very late, 

 seldom before the middle of July. Their nests are placed 

 on hummocks, among the willow swamps, or long grass 

 near the water. They frequent the lakes as high as the 

 birch grows." 



The Velvet Duck inhabits Russia and Siberia, and west 

 of Norway and the Faroe Islands ; is found at Iceland. No 

 notice of this species occurs in the natural history returns 

 of any of the recent Arctic voyages. It is, however, 

 abundant in various parts of North America, as detailed by 

 Mr. Audubon, who says " those which breed at Labrador 

 begin to form their nests from the 1st to the 10th of June. 

 The nests are placed within a few feet of the borders of 

 small lakes, a mile or two distant from the sea, and usually 

 under the low boughs of the bushe^, of the twigs of which, 

 with mosses and various plants matted together, they are 

 formed. They are large and almost flat, several inches 

 thick, with some feathers of the female, but no down under 

 the eggs, which are usually six in number, measuring two 

 inches and three-quarters in length, by one and seven- 

 eighths in breadth, of a uniform pale cream colour, tinged 

 with green. The males leave the females after incubation 

 has commenced. On the 28th of July I procured five 



