298 ANATIDJ5. 



membrane. Wings only of moderate length, with the first quill-feather equal 

 in length to the second. 



THE distinguishing characters, both external and inter- 

 nal, of the first division of true Ducks, will be found at 

 page 243 of the present volume ; those of the second di- 

 vision of these birds which now remain to be described 

 are decidedly different, and may be thus stated: Ex- 

 ternally they exhibit the neck and wings short, the latter 

 only reaching to the origin of the tail-feathers ; the legs 

 short and compressed ; the hind toe lobated, with an ex- 

 tended web to the inner toe. They frequent the sea, or 

 the deep parts of the largest fresh-water lakes, and have 

 been called Oceanic Ducks ; seldom seen on land ; their 

 walk embarrassed from the backward position of the legs, 

 but they dive constantly and with great facility, taking 

 their prey at various depths below the surface ; their food, 

 fish, shelled mollusca, Crustacea, and marine insects, but 

 little or no vegetable production ; their powers of flight 

 moderate. Of their soft parts, the oesophagus is capable 

 of great dilatation ; the stomach is a muscular gizzard, but 

 the internal cavity is large, and the sides comparatively 

 thin. The ribs are elongated ; and the keel of the breast- 

 bone decreases in depth in those species which in their 

 habits most resemble the Mergansers. 



The Eider Duck, though indigenous to some of the 

 northern parts of England, as well as several of the Scot- 

 tish Islands, is only a winter visiter to the southern por- 

 tions of the kingdom, and that too in very limited num- 

 bers. It is but rarely killed in Ireland, and has been seen 

 and shot on the Cornish, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Hamp- 

 shire, and Norfolk coasts. A fine adult bird was ob- 

 tained in the London market in January 1 843, and I saw 

 two beautiful specimens in January 1844. On the other 



