630 SOMATERIA 



SOMATERIA, Leach, 1819. 

 872. STELLER'S DUCK. 



SOMATERIA STELLERI. 



Somateria stelleri (Pall.), Spic. Zool. fasc. vi. p. 35, Tab. v. (1769) ; 

 (Gould), B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 25 ; (Middend.), Sib. Reise, p. 234, 

 Taf. 23, figs. 3, 5 (eggs) ; Newton, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 400, pi. xxxix. 

 fig. 4 (egg) ; Dresser, vi. p. 649, pi. 447 ; (Salvador!), Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xxvii. p. 419 ; (Tacz.), F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 1200 ; Sannders, 

 p. 463 ; Lilford, vii. p. 127, pi. 54 ; (Ridgway), p. 108 ; Anas dispar, 

 Sparrm. Mus. Carls, tabb. 7 and 8 (1786) ; Naum. xii. p. 240, Taf. 

 320 ; (Gould), B. of E. v. pi. 372 ; (Audub.), B. Am. vi. p. 368, 

 pi. 407. 



Scheck-ente, German ; Alforrddare, Swed. 



ad. (Norway). Top and sides of head and a collar encircling the 

 back of the neck silky white ; a narrow line across the forehead, a loral 

 spot, and an occipital patch dull olive-green ; feathers of the throat, and a 

 line dividing the white collar and joining another broad band which 

 encircles the neck, glossy blue-black tinged with purple, as are also the 

 feathers round the eye, and a spot on each side of the nape ; back 

 purplish blue-black ; scapulars elongated, blue-black, margined with white ; 

 wing-coverts white ; speculum bluish purple tipped with white ; inner- 

 most secondaries sickle-shaped and tipped with white ; quills and tail 

 blackish brown ; under parts deep ferruginous inclining to buff on the 

 upper breast and flanks ; middle of breast, abdomen, and under tail- 

 coverts black ; sides of upper breast marked with two distinct purplish 

 blue spots ; bill plumbeous, the nail lighter ; legs and feet greyish brown, 

 the webs darker ; iris brown. Culmen 1'45, wing 8*4, tail 3*5, tarsus 

 1-2 inch. The female has the head olive-brown tinged with rufous and 

 marked with black ; upper parts dark brown mottled with rufous ; breast 

 rusty brown spotted and barred with dusky ; abdomen sooty brown ; 

 speculum duller than in the male ; falcate inner secondaries dusky. 



Hob. Northern Siberia ; Kamchatka, south to the Kurile 

 Islands in winter ; Alaska ; the Arctic coasts of North America to 

 Davis Strait, but not common ; Western Greenland, rare ; of 

 rare occurrence in Great Britain, the north coast of France, and 

 Denmark, and in the Baltic, but commoner off the north-east 

 coasts of Norway, and a regular winter visitant to the Varanger 

 Fjord. 



In general habits it resembles the Eiders. It breeds in- 

 Northern Siberia late in June, its nest being a deep depression 

 in the moss of the tundra, well lined with down. The eggs, 7 

 to 9 in number, are similar in tone of colour to those of 

 S. spedabilis but smaller, measuring 2*51 by T64. 



