1 



116 



SEA DUCKS. 



r I 



! 



f 



I 



lianffe.—Formor]}', Nortli /Vtlantio onast, breeding from T.ahrndor north- 

 ward, and in winter niij,'rating soutlnvurd to Long Island; doubtlewj* now 

 extinet. 



In ft rooont paper* on this species Mr. William Dutcher quotes 

 the lute Mr. George N. Lawrence, as follows: "I recollect that 

 about forty or more years ago it was not unusual to see them in 

 Fulton Market, and without doubt killed on Long Island; at one 

 time I remember seeing six fine males, which hung in the market 

 until spoiled for want of a purchaser; they were not considered de- 

 sirable for the table, and collectors had a sufficient number, at that 

 time a pair being considered enough to represent a s])ecies in a col- 

 lection." 



The cause of this Duck's extinction is unknown. The last speci- 

 men, so far as known, was taken at Grand Menan in ISTl.f Forty-two 

 specimens have been recorded as existing in collections. 



Stelleu's Duck f l'>7. Eniconetta stelhfi), an arctic species, was observed 

 by Kumlien in Greenland. 



159. Somateria mollissiina borealis (Brthm). Gregxlanu 

 EiDEK. Ad. 6 . — Tup of the head black, a greenish white line on the crown; 

 rest of the head, throat, neck, upper breast, back, scapulars, and lesser wing- 

 coverts white, tinged with greenish on the sides and back of the licad, and 

 with vinaceous on the breast; middle of the rump, upper and under tail- 

 coverts, lower breast, and belly black. Ad. 9 . — Head, throat, and neck buffy 

 ochraceous, darker above and streaked with black ; back black, the feathers 

 all widely margined and sometimes partly barred with butty ochraceous ; 

 breast butty oeliniceous, barred with black; belly grayish brown or olive- 

 brown, indistinctly margined or barred with butty. Int. — Similar, but dis- 

 tinctly marked with butty. L., 23-00 ; W., 11-00 ; Tar., 1-80 ; B., 2-10. 



JidiKje. — Breeds from Labrador northward ; winters southward to Maine. 



Nesty on the ground, amiil coarse herbage and rocks. E(j(js., live to eight, 

 pale bluish or greenish, tinged with olive, 2-95 x 200. 



This is the American representative of the Eider Duck of north- 

 ern Europe, from which it differs only slightly. The highly prized 

 Eider down is taken from the nest of this bird and its allies. As in- 

 cubation progresses the sitting bird plucks the down from her breast 

 to serve as a nest lining. In Iceland, according to Saunders, the aver- 

 age yield from each nest is about one sixth of a pound. When the 

 fenuiles begin to sit the males leave them and, gathering in small 

 flocks, live at sea. 



160* Somateria dresseri Slutrpe. American Eider. Kesemblcs 

 the preceding in color, but dittcrs in the featiiering of the base of the cul- 



♦ The Auk, vol. viii, 1891, pp 201-216. 



t Ibid., vol. xi, 1894, pp. 4-12. 



