154 BRITISH BIRDS 



scapulars white ; belly white ; bill orange-pink, basal part 

 and nail blackish ; iris reddish-brown ; feet slate-blue, 

 webs blackish. Length 22*00. Female : crown blackish- 

 brown ; hind neck, throat and upper breast grey ; side 

 of head pale brown followed by a dark brown patch 

 below ear-coverts, above which is a whitish stripe ; sides 

 of lower neck whitish ; upper feathers dusky, with 

 paler rufous margins : belly white ; central tail-feathers 

 not lengthened. 



A rather scarce winter visitor ; has long been supposed 

 to breed in the Shetlands, but actual evidence is still lacking. 



GENUS CXXVII. HENICONETTA, Gray (1840). 



235. Heniconetta stelleri (Pall.). STELLER'S EIDER. 

 Hab. Northern Palsearctic and N.W. Nearctic regions. 

 A very rare straggler ; one has been killed in Norfolk 



(1830), and a second on the Yorkshire coast (1845). 



GENUS CXXVIII. SOMATERIA, Bole (1822). 



Bill shorter than head and somewhat tapering, more or 

 less swollen at base and extending upon forehead, where it 

 is divided by a projecting point of short stiff feathers. 



236. Somaterla mollissima (Linn.). EIDER DUCK. 

 Hab. Northern portion of Western Palsearctic region. 

 Male : forehead, lores, crown, greater - wing-coverts, 



primaries, rump and tail black ; rest of upper plumage 

 and throat white, excepting nape, centre of occiput and a 

 patch below ear-coverts, each side, which are pale green ; 

 upper breast pinkish-buff ; under parts black with a white 

 patch each side of vent ; bill greyish-green ; nail whitish ; 

 iris brown ; feet pale green. Length 23*00. Female : 

 feathers above light brown with dusky centres ; greater 



