82 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



Range. Northern portion of Northern Hemisphere, coastwise, in winter regularly to Long 

 Island, casually to Georgia. 



Range in North Carolina. Occasional along coast. 



Eiders belong essentially to arctic seas. In winter they appear in limited num- 

 bers in the ocean off the coast of the United States, regularly as far south as New 

 York. Their food consists largely of shellfish of many varieties; hence their flesh 

 is but little sought for the table. 



It appears that they come but seldom to our coast. Cooke, in his publication, 

 "Distribution of North American Ducks, Geese, and Swans," states that in the year 

 1897 King Eiders were taken in Virginia and South Carolina. Again in 1890 and 

 1904 they most probably visited North Carolina, for he records their occurrence 

 those years on the Georgia coast. In December, 1908, a flight reached our shores. 

 Four were killed at Oregon Inlet, in Dare County, on December 3. Two of these 

 were later presented to John E. Thayer of Lancaster, Massachusetts, and are now 

 in his collection. On the 16th of the same month an immature female was shot at 

 Pea Island, Dare County, by J. R. Roberson, and presented to Bishop, who was 

 on the island at the time. Bishop writes that others were locally reported to have 

 been taken in the region at a slightly earlier date. 



The Eider, Somateria dresseri Sharpe, has been known to come as far south as Virginia, and 

 hence is not unlikely to occur on our coast. In this species there is no V-shaped black mark 

 on the throat in the male, while the top of head is mainly black, and the scapulars and tertials 

 are white. In the female the feathering on the top of the bill does not extend more than 

 halfway to the nostril, and that on the lores reaches forward to below the hind end of the 

 nostril. Size same as King Eider. 



Genus Oidemia (Flem.) 



KEY TO SPECIES 



1. Wing with a white patch in both sexes. White-winged Scoter. 



1. Wing without white patch. See 2. 



2. Nostrils in middle of bill. No white. Scoter. 



2. Nostrils beyond middle of bill. Head with some white. Surf Scoter. 



FIG. 52. SCOTEE (adult male). 



62. Oidemia americana (Swains.). SCOTER. 



Ad. cf. Entire plumage black, feathers on side of bill extending little if any forward be- 

 yond corner of mouth; bill black; upper mandible orange or yellowish at the base. Ad. 9 

 and Im. Above chest and sides grayish brown; cheeks whitish, sharply denned from crown; 



