178 BIRD8 OF ILLINOIS. 



Subgenus ERIONETTA Coues. 



Erionetta Coues. Key to N. Am. Birds, ed. 2, 1884, 709. Type, Anas spectahilis Linn. 



SuBGEN. Chae. Anterior point of feathering on forehead reaching as far forward as 

 posterior end of nostril, the loral feathering extending on'y about half jvs far. Adult male 

 with scapulars and tertials black, the top of the head light bluish gray; lateral base of upper 

 mandible, in adult male, enlarged into a very conspicuous broad lobe, the width of which 

 at widest part exceeds the depth of upper mandible at anterior end of nostril. 



The single species belonging to this subgenus is the beautiful 

 King Eider {S. spectahilis). 



SoniPvteria spectabilis (Linn.) 



KING EIDEE. 



Anaa sppctahilis Linn. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 123; ed. 12. 1, 1766. 195. 



Somateria s^pectabilis Leach, in Ross's Voy. 1819, App. p. xlviii.— Sw. & EiCH. F. B.-A. 

 ii, 1831, 447.— Baied, B. N. Am. 1858. 810; Cat. N. Am. B. 1830, No. 608. Coues. Key, 

 1^72,293; CheckList,187:i. No. 515; 2d ed. 1882, No. 736; B. N.W. 1874,581.— Bidgw. Nom. 

 N. Am. B. 1881. No. 629; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 110.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 

 83.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 162. 

 FuUgula [Somateria) si)ec<a&i;i.5 Bonap. Synop. 1328, 389. — Nutt. Man. ii, 1834. 414. 

 Fullgula spectabilis Aud. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 523, pi. 276; Synop. 1839, 291; B. Am. vi, 

 1843. 347, pi. 404. 

 Anas heringii Gm. S. N. i, 1788, 508. 

 Anas superha Leach, Syst. Cat. 1816. 



Hab. Northern part of the northern hemisphere; in America, south, in winter, to 

 New Jersey and the Great Lakes, casually to Georgia and coast of California. 



Sp. Chab. Adult male: Feathers bordering the base of the maxilla all round, a spot 

 beneath and behind the eye, and a large V-shaped mark on the throat, black; entire top of 

 the head and upper part of the nape delicate pearl-gray, or glaucous-blue, growing grad- 

 ually deeper behind, where sometimes bordered by an indistinct blackish line; upper and 

 anterior portion of the cheeks, below the eye and immediately behind the black bordeiing 

 the side of the bill, and an oblique patch on the auricular region delicate sea-green, the 

 auricular patch abruptly defined anteriorly, but above gradually fading into white along 

 the edge of the bluish gray of the occiput and nape; remainder of the head, neck, middle 

 of the back, wing-coverts (except greater coverts and exterior border of lesser coverts), 

 lining of wing, and a patch on each side of the rump white; breast and chest deep 

 creamy buff. Remainder of the plumage dull black, the falcate tertials with a narrow and 

 rather indistinct central stripe of dull brownish. " Bill flesh-colored, the sides of the upper 

 mandible and soft frontal lobes bright orange; iris bright yellow; feet dull orange, the 

 webs dusky, the claws brownish black" (Audubon). Adult female, in smnmer: Pale 

 fulvous, varied with black, the latter occupying the central portion of the feathers on the 

 dorsal region, forming streaks on the head and neek, and bars on the chesty sides, 

 flanks, and upper tail-coverts; abdomen and anal region nearly plain grayish brown; 

 wing-coverts, remiges, and rectrices plain grayish dusky, the primaries darker; greater 

 coverts and secondaries scarcely, if at all, tipped with white; rump nearly plain dusky. 

 Adult female, in autumn: Rich cinnamon-rufous, varied with bl;vck much as in the sum- 

 mer plumage; abdomen and anal region plain brown; greater coverts and secondaries 

 distinctly tipped with white. Young male: Head and neck plain umber-brown; upper 

 parts dusky, the feathers bordered with fulvous, especially the scapulars; rump, greater 



