SOMATERIA LABRADORIA. 215 



Newton for the expression of his opinion on various points^ concerning which 

 presently. 



To Mr. T. C. Eyton, for his prompt permission to copy the heads and 

 feet of Kamptorhynchus lahradorius and S, mollissima from his ' Monograph on 

 the Anatidee.' 



To Dr. E. Oustalet, Paris, and various persons on the Continent who 

 have kindly troubled themselves on my behalf. 



To Mr. Dresser, Mr. Salvin, and Mr. D. G. Elliot I am under obligation. 



To Prof. Baird and my other American friends, w^hose names appear to 

 their letters, I return my warmest thanks for quick replies, sent with that 

 courtesy which we always experience from our kindred ornithologists in 

 America, 



I have spoken of this Duck as Somateria labradoria (J. F. Gmelin). In 

 Gray's ' Genera ' (vol. ii.) we find : — " CamptolaimuSy G. R. Gray, proposed 

 in 1841, in the place of Kamptorhynchus of Mr. Eyton (^Monograph of the 

 Anatidse,' p. 57), who published that name in 1838, but which had been pre- 

 viously used in Zoology. C labradora^ Gmel."* 



The derivation appears to be KafxirTos, bent, and Aat/xos*, neck or gullet. 

 This would become Icemus^ not laimus ; and the word is Camptolcemus, 



After very careful consideration, and not without doubt, I determined 

 to follow Prof. Newton {cf, Encycl. Brit. 9th edit. vol. iii. p. 375, art. ''Birds'') 

 and place the Pied Duck among the Eiders. I do not, however, consider 

 this quite satisfactory ; and it is probable that, until fossil ornithology is 

 better known, things w^ill never be properly sorted. 



The first reason why I dislike the arrangement is, on account of the 

 divergence of the beak in S. labradoria from that which appears in S. mollissima, 

 which I take as the type. This variation is seen in the hthograph. To remove 

 a species from a genus on account of such a diff*erence would, however, 

 perhaps be rash. 



■^ Anas labradoria, Gmelin^ Syst. Nat. i. 1788^, p. 537. 



2g 2 



