72 



DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



Genus ARCTONETTA Gray. 



ARCTONETTA FISHERII BRANDT. 

 Spectacled Eider. 



Special rharoctcrit. MaJe : A lurge spectaele-like, silvery white jiatch enclosing the eye, 

 narrowly bordered with black ; throat, white ; forehead, and feathers at base of bill, whitish ; 

 rest of head, pale olive or graj'isli olive; the feathers on the occiput, somewhat elongated; 

 breast, dark slaty, becoming slaty lirown on rest of underparts and sides; back, scapulary 

 plumes, and wing coverts, white ; rump and tail, like lielly ; axillars, ashy white, the shafts 

 often slightly tinged with brownish. 



Wing, 10; tarsus, 1.45; liill (culinen), 1; nostril to tip, 1.15; angle of mouth to tip, 2. 



Special characters. Female: The peculiar spectacle-like patch enclosing the eye but slightly 

 indicated, and pale buff or grayish buft'; throat, l)uffy white; face, tinged with brownish; 

 crown, and Ijack of the head, mottled, and narrowly streaked with buft' and dark brown; 

 entire under parts, pale brown, faintlj' and irregularly barred with darker brown; feathers of 

 the back, dark In-own, tipped with tawny lirown, and pale rufous brown; axillars as In the 

 male; (|uills and tail, dark brown, with pale brown shafts. The female is smaller than the 

 male. 



"Wing, 8.75; tail, .3.50; tarsus, 1.45; bill (culmen), .75; bill, from nostril, .90; angle of 

 mouth to tip, 1.80. 



(Kc-m;ilc.) (Male.) 



Geofjrajihical diUril/iition : "Alaskan coast of Bchring Sea, and north to Point Barrow. 



(A. O. r.) 



The Spectacled Eider seems to have a very limited range, and is apparently 

 nowhere common. It is known to breed in the vicinity of the Island of St. 

 Michael, Alaska, and a set of eggs, taken in that locality, in the Smith- 

 sonian collection, are pale olive gray, and measure about 2.40 -x l.G.5. 



