

76 



LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



ho was too lively to be secured. Young unable to fly were seen as late as the middle 

 of October. Their food in autumn consists almost wholly of mollusks. On one own- 

 sion Mr. Kumlien disturbed a large colony of them, and the Ducks all left their lu'sts. 

 Ho sent his Eskimos to another island while he remained behind to see how tin; 

 birds would behave. As soon as the boat left, both males and fem.ales return(!d to 

 their nests. One male alighted by the side of a nest and settled down on the eggs 

 with a well-satisfied air, when suddenly a female appeared, and seemed to inform him 

 that ho had made a mistake, and that it was not his nest; he thereui)on withdrew 

 with an awkward bow. The Ducks all seemed very noisy and communicative ; but 

 when Mr. Kumlien crept out into fidl view from his hiding-place, there wius a general 

 look of disgust and astonishment among *Iiem. Many would not even leave their 

 nests, but hissed and squaked at him, after the manner of Geese. lie mentions also 

 seeing large flocks of immature birds, l)oth male and female, that do not breed. 



Dr. Bessels includes the Eider among the birds taken by the " Polaris " ICxpedition, 

 under Captain Hall, in Polaris liay. Mr. Feilden, in the I?ritish Arctic Expedition 

 of 187;")-1876, found it breeding in great numbers in the neighborhood of Fort Eoulkt^, 

 but decreasing in numbers as it ])assed northward. It became rare after passing 

 Cape Frazer, the meeting-jdace of the I'olar and Hattin's ]{ay tid<'s. He did not meet 

 with one north of Cape Union ; but J)r. Co])])inger procured both this speeiiesand the 

 spectahUis at Thank-God Harlwr (hit. 81° 38' N.) in the month of July, 1876. 



Sir Jolin llichardson regarded this sis an exclusively marine spt^cies, and was not 

 aware that it is ever seen in fresh water. Its food is said to consist almost wholly of 

 the soft m()llus(!a so common in northern waters. It is only partially migratory, the 

 older birds rarely moving farther south in winter than to pernument open water. 



■ \ 



Somateria DresserL 



THE AMSHICAH EIOEB. 



AnanvioUimma, \\\i». Am. Orii. VIII. 1814, 122, jil. 71. 



Fiiliguln {Siimateri(i) mnlltsnimii, Nrrr. Mini. II. is;t4, 407. 



Fuliijulii mollimimd, Arn. Orii. liicg. 111. 183.';, 344; V. 183i», Oil, pi. 24C j .Synop. 1839, 291; 



M. Am. VI. 1S43, 349, pi. 40.1. 

 Soimikriii miiiriiixhiiii, Uonai-. Coiiip. List, 183S, r>7 (pai(). — nAiiin, H. N. Am. IS-IB, 809 ; Cat. 



N. Am. II. 18.^9, no. (lOfi. — Coiks, Key, 1S72, 2'.t;t ; ( li-ck List, 187.3, no. 51.3. 

 l^omalaia Drrnwri, SiiAiirK, Ami. Miij,'. \. II. .fnlv, 1S71, fil, fij;M, 1, 2. 

 Somalrriii iiio/li.s.iimii, viir. (') llnnmri, <'ih;k.s, Uinls N. W. 1874, 580. 

 Somnlfriii miillissima Drcisiri, |{ii»;w. Vi: V. H. Niil. Miis. vol. 3, 1880, 205, 222 ; Nom. N. Am. B. 



1881, no. 627". —CorKN, Clicrk List, 2(1 cd. 1882, no. 734. 



ILvn. Anicrii'iMi coaslH onin' Xoilh Atluiilir, fioni Maini', cto., to Liilinuldr. 



Se. Chaii. Ailult nutli : Similar to .S, vmllisuhwi, liul tlm "iitc" very nnicli broatlcr (..1H to 

 .60 of an inch wide iintcriinly), inucli cornigatf!!!, thu postorior i-xtrtMuity liniiul hikI -minded ; 

 gn>i'n of tin- luwl ratluT nioru oxluiultil, ustmlly following along undi riieiitli tlie Maik idinosl or 

 ipiile to till! liill. "I?ill jialc grayiHli yellow, the unf^iiis li^,diter. llie Bofl tumid part pale HeMi- 

 color; iris brown ; feel dingy li^lil green, the welw dusky" (AtiuiiioN). Ailiill fevutk: Seurcely 

 distinguiHliahle from tlml oi vwUimmn, hut basal angles of the maxilla deeper and broader. 

 "Bill i>ale grayish green ; iris and I'eel as in llie inal-!" (Ai.Di Hon). Dniniii ynniKj : Not distin- 

 guishable from that u( vniUlniiimii. 



Total leni^th, about 2I.<K) to 2(i.lH> inches ; extent. :«>.;h) to 42.00 ; win^;, 11.15-1 1.50 ; mlmvn, 

 1.05-2.40; from tip of bill to end of banal angb, 2.75-;j.;j5 ; gn-ntest width of angle, .;j«-..50 ; 

 lursus, 2.00 2.20; middle toe, 2..''i<»-2.7o (six examides). 



After a close direct conii>arifon of six males of S. viidUmima with five of ,S'. Ilrfiueri, we hav(! 

 Wn unnble to verify the points of diHtimtion given by Mewrs. fi\iM-\»' & DresMer (" IlirdH of 



