108 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
own observations show this species to be strictly limited to the 
salt marshes bordering the east coast of Bering sea, thus favouring 
the shallow, muddy, coast waters, which appear to be distasteful 
to Steller duck. (Nelson.) This bird is common in the vicinity 
of St. Michael, where it arrives early in May. Along the coast of 
Bristol bay it is very abundant; it occurs among all the Aleutian 
islands, where it breeds and is a constant resident, but extremely 
shy. (Turner.) This bird was found to be a regular, though rather 
rare, summer visitor at Point Barrow. It evidently breeds not far 
from the station, as a female was taken in June, 1883, with an egg 
in the oviduct just ready for laying. (Murdoch.) 
BREEDING Notes.—In the vicinity of St. Michael this species 
rarely arrives before the 15th of May. Very soon after reaching 
their destination the flocks disband and the birds quietly pair, but 
the first eggs are rarely laid earlier than the first of June. Most of 
my eggs were taken fresh between the roth and 2oth of this month, 
and I obtained the young just out of the egg on July 23rd. When 
first paired the birds choose a pond in a marsh, and are henceforth 
found in its vicinity until the young are hatched. When the grass 
commences to show green and the snow and ice are nearly gone, 
these ducks choose some dry, grassy spot close to a pond, and mak- 
ing a slight hollow with a warm lining of grass, they commence the 
duties of the season, although the other denizens of the marsh are 
already well on with their house-keeping. One nest found on June 
15th was on a bed of dry grass on the border of the pond, within a 
foot of the water, and when the female flew off, the single egg could 
be seen 20 yards away. Tussocks of dry grass, small islands in 
ponds, and knolls close to the water’s edge are all chosen as nesting 
places, and as a rule the nest is well concealed by the dry grass 
standing about. The eggs usually number from five to eight or 
nine in a set and are small for the size of the bird. In colour they 
are of a light olive-drab. (Nelson.) 
LXII. SOMATERIA Leacu. 18109. 
159. Greenland EKider. Northern Bider. 
Somaterta mollissitma borealis C.L. BREHM. 1830. 
Common along all the coasts of Greenland; northern limit un- 
known. (Arct. Man.) A resident at Ivigtut and very abundant. 
(Hagerup.) Abundant in Hudson strait; breeds in Ungava bay. 
