ORNITHOLOGY OF THE BRITISH POLAR EXPEDITION. 213 
the 14th June, 1876, two Long-tailed Ducks were shot in 
Discovery Bay; a couple of pairs bred in the neighbourhood, but 
I could never find their nests, though the peculiarly deep 
“quawk” of the male often attracted me to the search. They 
appeared to be breeding inland, but at no great distance from the 
sea. Six were obtained in the vicinity of Discovery Bay. 
Ewer Duck, Somateria mollissima.—I have been obliged to 
omit several notes upon this and the following species, from not 
being certain to which they belonged. In the cases adduced the 
birds were, however, thoroughly distinguished. The Common 
Eider bred not uncommonly on Disco Island; both birds and 
eggs were obtained in July, 1875. On July 23rd a number of 
pairs were breeding on an island west of Kangitok, lat. 72° 48’. 
On the 30th July I shot two Hiders and obtained four eggs upon 
Brevoort Island, off Cape Sabine, in lat. 78° 45’. On August 4th 
there were many Eiders in Hayes Sound (Buchanan Straits), in 
lat. 78° 52’, and on the 11th old and young birds were frequent 
at Walrus Island, lat. 79° 25’. In Discovery Bay two Eiders 
were shot as late as the first week of September, 1875. In 1876 
a couple of pairs were found breeding in Musk-ox Bay upon the 
23rd June. Several were shot from that date on, and by the 8th 
and 9th August Eiders had gathered for migration in flocks of 
from twenty to thirty. On the homeward journey I observed 
several Eiders, the last seen being upon the 7th September at 
Walrus Island. Dr. Coppinger and Lieut. Beaumont obtained 
three of this species and saw several more in Polaris Bay in the 
month of July, 1876. 
Kina Duck, Somateria spectabilis. — Several King Ducks 
were shot near Disco, lat. 69° 14’.. Here they breed chiefly upon 
the mainland, from which I obtained their eggs. On the 8rd July, 
1876, King Ducks were shot in Discovery Bay, and on the 16th, 
a female was shot whose breast was plucked’bare. At the end of 
this month several of this species were seen and obtained upon 
Bellot Island, lat. 81° 40’. This species was, perhaps, commoner 
than the last in Discovery Bay; on the other hand, Dr. Coppinger 
considered the Common Hider the most plentiful of the two in 
Polaris Bay upon the opposite coast. Stomachs of both this and 
the last species examined were generally found to contain 
shrimps. Three King Ducks were obtained in Polaris Bay in 
July, 1876. 
