KING EIDER. 467 



breeding <>n some small islands off the coast of Grand Menan, late in June, but the eggs 

 deposited then, were the second litter, the first being laid much earlier. The nests were 

 placed among somo<4oosc boulders, a short distance above high water mark, and did not con- 

 tain any more of the famous down than I have found in the nests of Black or other Ducks, 

 but this may be partly accounted for, by the fact that they contained the second litter, and 

 partly by the southern latitude, where the eggs would not require as warm a covering as 

 further North. 



SOMATER1A SPECTABILIS. 



King Eider. 



Somatcria sptctalt/is LKACII., Fleming, Philos. Zool. ; 1822. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. CH. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill, considerably swollen at base, and the fleshy covering projects backward on 

 either side. Tertiaries, well curved outward. CULOK. Adult male. Top of head and nupe, bluish-ash. Sides of head, 

 pale bluish-green. Lower back an' I wings vc;ry dark-brown glissed with greenish on secondaries Throat, neck a.! around, 

 r.ncl patch on wing and (lank*, white, the first tinged with creamy. Narrow margin at base of bill, small space around eye, 

 V-shaped mark on chin, and under portion, black, excepting the axil laries and middle under tail coverts which are white. 

 Bill, pinkish, orange at base, iris, yellow, feet, dusky-orange. Adult female. General color yellowish-ash, becoming dark- 

 er below, banded with dark-brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the swollen base of bill which gives the head a peculiar appearance, and colors aa described. Distributed, 

 in summer, from Labrador, northward, coming as far south as Massachusetts in winter, but very rare below Grand Menan. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens. Length. 22'50; stretch, 41'00; wing, 10'65; tail, 3'40; bill, 1-33; tnrsus, 1'75. 

 I/mjrost specimen, 25'HO; greatest extent of wing, 42'00; longest wing, II 25; tail, 3 - 75; bill, T40; tarsus, 1'85. Shortest 

 s|Kvimen, 20 00; smallest extent of wing, 40 00; shortest wing, lO'OO; tail, 3'00; bill, 1'25; tarsus, I '65. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND BUGS. 



Nests, placed on the ground near the water, composed of sticks, lined with down. Eyys, from six to ten in number, 

 elliptical in form, <lirty green in color. Dimensions from r75x2'60 to rHOx2'65. 



HABITS. 



The King Eiders are one of the rarest Sea Ducks which occur on our New England 

 shores and they only appear in winter. They are, however, not uncommon about Grand 

 Menan and I was informed by the inhabitants of the Magdalen Islands, that the King 

 Ducks, as they were termed, were very common there in winter, and so tame that they 

 could be killed with sticks. This species has similar habits to those of the preceding. 



GENUS XV. (ED EMI A. THE BLACK SEA DUCKS. 



GKN. C'li. Kill, shorter than head, rather hiyh and swollen at base, and somewhat rounded at tip. Marginal indenta- 

 tions, open. 



The trachea is straight and without any special dilatation. The larynx in males is expanded and provided with a bony 

 frame-work. Colors, black. Stomach, muscular. Sexes, not similar. There are three species within our limits. 



(EDEMIA AMERICANA. 



Scoter. 

 CEdemia Americana Sw.. F. Bor. Am., II, 1832, 450. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, robust. Size, medium. Bill, rather short. COLOR. Adult male. Black throughout. Iris, brown, 

 feet, greenish, and bill, black, orange on swollen portion. Adult female. Brown throughout, paler on sides of head and 

 below where there are uWurc spots of dusky. \'nun//. Similar to the adult female. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the a'wnee of :\ny wliit" ami short liill with yellow base. Distributed in Mimmer from Labrador, north- 

 wardjwintcring from Grand Menan to the Carol inaa. 



58 



