666 AVES—EIDER DUCK. 
swan is exactly similar in its form to the swan of the old world, but is some- 
what smaller in size. Every part of its plumage is perfectly black, with the 
exception of the primary and a few of the secondary quill feathers, which 
are white. The bill is of a bright red above, is crossed at the anterior part 
by a whitish band; is of a grayish white on the under part; and, in the 
male, is surmounted at the base bya slight protuberance. The legs and 
feet are of a dull ash color. Black swans, in their wild state, are extremely 
shy, They are found in Van Dieman’s Land, New South Wales, and on 
the western coast of New Holland; and are generally seen swimming on a 
lake,ein flocks consisting of eight or nine individuals. On being disturbed, 
. they fly off in a direct line one after the other, like wild geese. 
LHE BID ER. D.C Kk! 

Has a black, cylindrical bill, and the feathers or the forehead and cheeks ad- 
vance far into the base. In the male, the feathers of part of the head, the 
lower part of the breast, the belly and the tail, are black, as are also the 
quili feathers of the wings; and nearly all the rest of the body 1s waite. 
The legs are green. The female is of a reddish brown, variously marked 
with black and dusky streaks. It is principally found in the western isles 
of Scotland, on the coasts of Norway, Iceland and Greenland, and in many 
parts of North America. 
The female lays from three to five eggs, (sometimes as many as eight,) 
which are large, smooth, glossy, and of a pale olive color. She generally 


1 Anas mollisima, Lin 
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