_l 



EIDER (Somateria dresseri). These very 

 large and handsome ducks, measuring 24 in. 

 in length, live quite extensively upon small 

 fish as well as mollusks and insects; their 

 flesh is consequently tough and very unpal- 

 atable, but they are nevertheless valuable 

 birds, for they furnish the eider down of com- 

 merce, this being gathered from their nests 

 on northern islands. This species breeds 

 from Maine to Labrador and in the southern 

 half of Hudson Bay. Another species, 

 NORTHERN EIDER (Somateria mollis- 

 sima borealis), which differs from this in hav- 

 ing the soft basal portion of the bill pointed 

 instead of rounded, breeds farther north and 

 in Greenland. Both species winter south on 

 the coast as far as Massachusetts. Their 

 flight is rather heavy and is usually per- 

 formed in Indian file. 



PACIFIC EIDERS (Somateria v-nigra) 

 are plumaged just like the Northern, except 

 that the male has a black V-shaped mark 

 extending back from below the bill. Pacific 

 Eiders are found chiefly on the coasts and 

 islands of the Behring Sea and adjacent por- 

 tions of the Arctic Ocean. 



SPECTACLED EIDERS (Arctonetta 

 fischeri} are very locally distributed on coasts 

 of the Behring Sea. The male has a very 

 peculiar formation of short velvety feathers 

 on the head, while the female can easily bs 



distinguished from other species because the base of the bill is wholly 

 feathered. 



STELLER DUCK (Polysticta stelleri] is a smaller duck, measuring 

 17 in. in length. The male, 

 shown in the pen sketch, has 

 a black throat and rusty col- 

 ored under parts. The fe- 

 male is brownish similar to 

 the Eiders but of course 

 much smaller. These ducks 

 are not uncommon in Behr- 

 ing Sea and adjacent waters. SUttav ^v^tW 



18 



EIDER (5,9) 



PACIFIC EIDER 



