The Eider Duck 



under parts black. Bill and legs greenish. In the " eclipse " 

 plumage the whole of the head and white portions of the 

 body (except the wing coverts) become dull brownish black. 

 The female is rufous buff, with darker bars. Length 23 

 in. ; wing 1 1 in. 



THE KING EIDER 



Somateria spectabilis (Linnaeus) 



Essentially an Arctic species, and rarely wandering south 

 even in winter, this species is a somewhat scarce visitor to 

 our shores, though a good many examples have been taken, 

 especially in the north. The large raised orange tubercle 

 at the base of the bill and the dark clear-cut V mark 

 underneath the chin, form fairly distinctive characters by 

 which this species may be recognised, though an imperfect 

 V mark is sometimes found on the Common Eider. The 

 sickle-shaped secondaries are black and not white, as in the 

 Common Eider. The female is smaller, but otherwise 

 resembles the Common Eider, though on close examination 

 she may be distinguished by the shape and extent of the 

 backward prolongation of the beak sheath. Length 21 

 in. ; wing 10 '5 in. 



STELLER'S EIDER 



Somateria stelleri (Pallas) 



This is an Arctic species, nesting sparingly in Europe 

 and more commonly on the tundras of Eastern Siberia. It 



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