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instances, and the information respecting it is most unreliable. Thus, Nordvi has received from 

 South Varanger eggs of Mergus serrator, which were said to be those of A. stelleri ; at Vatso I 

 have seen eggs of Anas glacialis, also said to be those of this bird. From Karlebotn I received, 

 on the 10th of May, 1858, two males, which were much lighter-coloured than those I had before 

 obtained, and were like females, excepting that the chin was black and the scapulars more 

 curved. The two males shot in May were almost white at the bill, the head light greyish 

 brown, the green topknot distinct, below this a ring of chequered black and white feathers, the 

 fore part of the breast almost pure brown, on the fore part of the wing a spot almost pure white, 

 one of the curved scapulars half white and blue. These were probably males in the second 

 spring plumage. The same year I received young males, which were similar in colour to the 

 females, and but slightly larger, as also old males in their magnificent winter-plumage." 



The following is Von Middendorff's note concerning Steller's Duck in Siberia. He found 

 the bird abundant and breeding on the Taimyr river, although not so common as the King 

 Eider, and observes : — 



" On the 25th of June their nests contained fresh eggs, seven to nine in number. This bird 

 places its nest in the moss on the flat Tundras ; it is cup-shaped and well lined with down. The 

 male remains in the neighbourhood of the sitting female, who leaves the nest unwillingly, 

 uttering a cry resembling that of our Common Teal, but harsher." Dr. Middendorff, who was the 

 first to describe the egg of this Duck, gives the size as varying from 56 millims. in length by 

 41 millims. in breadth, to 64 millims. in length by 39 millims. in width. One of these eggs is 

 now in Dresser's collection. 



Further eastward the present species certainly occurs, having been originally discovered in 

 Kamschatka by Steller, who found it breeding in inaccessible rocks, gregarious in its habits, but 

 never seen to enter the rivers. 



In the celebrated work on the ' Birds of North America,' by Messrs. Baird, Cassin, and 

 Lawrence, the first-named author makes the following statement : — " The occurrence of this 

 beautiful Duck on the shores of America is a matter of much uncertainty, no specimens actually 



taken in North America having come to my knowledge It doubtless visits the north-west 



coast of America, where it is said by Bonaparte to be abundant ; but with what foundation I do 

 not know." We are able to restore Steller's Duck to a place in the American avifauna; for 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney has kindly informed us that he possesses a female of this species obtained on 

 the north-west coast of America by a person who acted as steward, or in some similar capacity, 

 on board one of the vessels which visited that coast under Captain Collinson on his Arctic 

 expedition in company with Sir Leopold McClintock. 



We regret that we have been able to obtain no further information respecting the food of 

 Steller's Duck ; nor is it sufficiently established whether the male in the breeding-time doffs his 

 magnificent dress and assumes the more sober coloration of his mate. Respecting this we have 

 received the following note from Professor Newton : — 



" Wolley reached the Varanger Fiord about a month before I did, and when he arrived he 

 saw a few adult Drakes in the flocks in their full ' white ' plumage. They soon, however, dis- 

 appeared, leaving, no doubt, for their breeding-quarters ; and then there remained, so far as we 

 could judge by the three species he killed (now at Norwich), and also by what Nordvi and 



