178 FULIGULIN^E. SOMATERIA. 



though fleshy, little elevated, the head black above, with a 

 medial white band, the hind part of the cheeks and nape pale 

 green ; the throat, hind-neck, back, scapulars, smaller wing- 

 coverts, and inner secondary quills white ; the breast, sides, 

 abdomen, and rump black ; the fore-neck cream-coloured ; 

 the tail of sixteen feathers, greyish-brown. Female with the 

 frontal angles less elevated, and shorter ; the head and neck 

 pale reddish-brown, finely streaked with dusky ; the lower 

 parts similarly coloured, but with the markings transverse, 

 and the ground-colour passing gradually into dusky-brown ; 

 the upper parts dark brown, transversely lunulated with 

 light red. Young nearly similar to the female. 



Male, 26, 40, 11-J, 2 T ^, Ijf, 2, T \. 



Abundant in the arctic regions of both continents. Many 

 breed in various parts of Scotland, more especially in the 

 northern isles. It is not uncommon even in the Frith of Forth, 

 particularly about North Berwick and on the opposite coast of 

 Fife. The nest is formed of dried plants and bits of turf; and 

 the eggs, from five to eight, are of a longish oval form, smooth, 

 glossy, pale greenish-grey, three inches in length, nearly two 

 inches in breadth. When they have been laid, the female 

 plucks the down from her breast, and deposits it among them. 

 The flesh of this species is tolerably good. 



Eider Duck. St Cuthbert's Duck. Dunter Goose. 



Anas mollissima, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 338. Anas mollissi- 

 ma, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 845. Anas mollissima, Temm. 

 Man. d'Ornith. ii. 848. Somateria mollissima, White-backed 

 Eider, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



254. SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS. BLACK-BACKED EIDER. 



Male with the frontal angles of the bill very broad, rounded, 

 fleshy, and much elevated, so as to form a large compressed 

 protuberance ; the upper part of the head and nape greyish- 

 blue ; the cheeks pale green ; the throat white, with two 

 bands of black meeting anteriorly at a very acute angle ; the 

 hind-neck and part of the back white, the fore-neck richly 

 cream-coloured; the back, scapulars, and inner secondary 

 quills black, as are the breast, sides, abdomen, and rump ; a 

 spot on each side of the latter, and the middle smaller wing- 

 coverts, white ; tail of fourteen feathers. Female with the 

 frontal angles less elevated and shorter ; the head and neck 

 pale reddish-brown, finely streaked with dusky; the lower 

 parts similarly coloured, but with the markings transverse, 

 and the ground-colour passing gradually into dusky -brown ; 



