.352 EIDER DUCK. 



Plumage short, dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the 

 head extremely small ; on the upper part very narrow, on the occiput and 

 upper and lateral parts of the neck hairlike, stiff and glossy. Wings 

 rather short, narrow, pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, 

 the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; 

 secondaries short, broad, rounded, the inner elongated, tapering, and re- 

 curved. Tail very short, much rounded, of sixteen narrow feathers. 



Bill pale greyish-yellow, the unguis lighter, the soft tumid part pale 

 flesh-colour. Iris brown. Feet dingy light green, the webs dusky. Up- 

 per part of the head bluish-black ; the central part from the occiput to 

 the middle white. The hair-like feathers on the upper part and sides of 

 the neck are of a delicate pale green tint. The sides of the head, the 

 throat, and the neck, are white, the fore neck at its lower part of a fine 

 colour intermediate between buff and cream-colour. The rest of the 

 lower surface is brownish-black, as are the upper tail -coverts, and the 

 central part of the rump. The rest of the back, the scapulars, smaller 

 wing-coverts, and inner curved secondary quills, white, the scapulars 

 tinged with yellow. Secondary coverts and outer secondaries brownish- 

 black ; primaries and tail-coverts greyish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 2.5 inches, to end of wings 21 i, to end of claws 

 27; extent of wings 42; wing from flexure 11^; tail 4^; bill from ex- 

 tremity of tumid part S-Jf, from its notch 2/3, along the edge of lower 

 mandible 2[S ; tarsus If ; middle toe2ig, its claw ^^. Weight in winter, 

 •5 lb. 5\ oz. ; in breeding time 4 lb. 8^ oz. 



Adult Female. Plate CCXLVI. Fig. 2. 



The Female differs greatly from the Male. The bill is shorter, its 

 tumid basal part much less and narrower. The feathers of the head and 

 upper part of the neck are very small, soft, and uniform ; the scapulars 

 and inner secondaries are not elongated, as in the male. Bill pale grey- 

 ish-green ; iris and feet as in the male. The head and neck all round 

 light brownish-red with small lines of brownish-black. Lower part of 

 neck all round, the whole upper surface, the sides, and the lower tail- 

 coverts of the same colours, but there the brownish -black markings are 

 broad. Secondary quills and larger coverts greyish-brown, tipped with 

 white, primaries brownish-black; tail-feathers greyish-brown. Breast and 

 abdomen greyish-brown, obscurely mottled. 



Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of wngs 20^, to end of claws 27; 



