THE TRUE EIDER DUCKS. 37 



THE TRUE EIDER DUCKS. GENUS SOMATERIA. 



Somateria, Leach, in Ross's Voy. Disc. App.p. xlviii. (1819). 



Type, S. mollissima (Linn). 



In this genus the edges of the upper mandible are not bent 

 inwardly ; the lores are separated from the feathers of the fore- 

 head by a bare space ; the bill is rather narrow and pointed, 

 and the inner secondaries are slightly falcate, or sickle-shaped. 

 (Cf. Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 327). 



There are four species of True Eiders, of which Soinatcria 

 drcsscri is North American ; S. \.-tiigruw inhabits North-west- 

 ern America and North-eastern Asia; S.spectabilis, North-eastern 

 Europe and North America, occasionally visiting the British 

 Islands, in parts of which the Common Eider is a resident. 



I. THE COMMON EIDER DUCK. SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA. 



Anas mollissima, Linn. S. N. i. p. 198 (1766). 



Soinatcria mollissima, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 147 (1852); Dresser, 



B. Eur. vi. p. 629, pi. 445 (1871) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 



134 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 457 (1885) ; 



Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 616 (1885); Saunders, Man. Br. 



B. p. 447 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxii. 



(1892); Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 425 (1895). 

 (Plate /.AY/.) 



Adult Male. General colour above pure white, including the 

 wing-coverts and scapulars and innermost secondaries, which 

 are sickle-shaped ; centre of the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 black ; tail blackish ; bastard-wing, primary and greater coverts, 

 and quills black, the latter with paler shafts ; the inner second- 

 aries with a good deal of white on the inner web, where they 

 adjoin the sickle-shaped feathers ; crown of head velvety pur- 

 plish-black, this black extending below the eye and above the 

 lores along the bare portion of the mandible ; the hinder 

 crown divided by a broad streak of white, tinged with green ; 

 the nape and sides of the hind head behind the ear-coverts 

 green, with a white patch in the centre of the latter portion ; 

 entire sides of face and throat white, joining the white of 

 the hind-neck and mantle ; fore-neck and chest delicate pink, 

 the lower feathers fringed with black at the ends, where they 



