342 NATATORES. SOMATERIA. EIDER. 



fection till after two or three years, endowed with singular 

 length of life. The flesh of this species in the natural state, 

 from the kind of food they subsist on, is very unpalatable ; 

 but would probably, under a different diet, lose its rank and 

 fishy flavour. 



PLATE 70. Represents the Adult Male of the natural size. 

 General jg age Q f tne j^} an( j f ron t a l plates honey-yellow, passing 

 tion. towards the nostrils and tip into oil-green ; nail of the 



Male. bin J ar g e? strong, vaulted, and of a yellowish-white. 



Frontlets, and upper part of the head, enclosing the eyes, 

 Scotch-blue, divided from the crown backwards by a 

 white band. On the nape and sides of the upper part 

 of the neck is a large patch of pistachio-green, the fea- 

 thers being fine, truncated, and silky, capable of being 

 raised to form a ruff. Cheeks, throat, and lower part 

 of the neck, white. Breast cream-yellow, with a vivaceous 

 or purple tinge. Back, scapulars, and tertials white, 

 tinged with straw-yellow, the latter acuminated and 

 curled over the wings. Wing-coverts white. Rump, 

 belly, abdomen, and vent black. Tail greyish-black. 

 Legs honey-yellow, tinged with green. 



PLATE 70 *. Represents the Female of the natural size, from 

 a beautiful specimen killed in February, after the com- 

 pletion of the autumnal moult, and at which time the 

 colours are deeper and brighter than at a more advanced 

 period of the year. 



Female. Head and neck yellowish-brown (deepest upon the crown), 

 and streaked with dusky. Plumage of the upper parts 

 of the body a mixture of black, rich brown, and grey. 

 Under parts brown, with darker undulations. Bill and 

 legs deep greenish-grey. 



Young. The young males resemble the female till upwards of a 

 year old, after which period they acquire a little white 

 upon the head and cheeks, and the lower part of the 



