442 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



its congeners in its economy, being eminently a sea Duck and 

 almost sedentary, only wandering in winter from its usual haunts 

 to the nearest open water. The adults probably live in pairs 

 through the summer, but immature individuals remain in parties at 

 that period ; whilst in autumn both old and young become more 

 or less gregarious. The food is not known to differ from that of 

 allied species, and is obtained in a similar manner. Its note is 

 undescribed, but Von Middendorff states that the female when 

 flying from the nest uttered a rattling cry. 



Nidification. — The only particulars concerning the breeding 

 habits of Steller's Eider, obtained from personal observation, 

 appear to be those published by Von Middendorff, who met 

 with this Duck breeding in some numbers on the Taimyr penin- 

 sula, the most northerly continental land on the entire globe. 

 The eggs are apparently laid early in July, or at the very end 

 of June. The nests were made on the tundra, and were 

 merely deep hollows in the moss-clothed ground, lined with 

 quantities of down plucked from the females. The eggs range 

 from seven to nine in number, and are pale huffish green in 

 colour, smooth, but with little gloss. They measure on an 

 average 2*35 inches in length by I'ss inch in breadth. Down 

 tufts apparently undescribed. But one brood is reared in the 

 year. The females are said to sit closely, and, as is usual with 

 the Eiders, the drakes swim about in the neighbourhood of the 

 nests, and probably join their mates when they leave the eggs 

 and retire to the water to feed. 



Diagnostic Characters.— (Nuptial plumage), Somateria, 

 with the back black and the falcated scapulars white on the inner 

 and bluish black on the outer webs (adult male) ; with the alar 

 speculum purplish blue, enclosed between two white bars (adult 

 female). Length, 18 to 20 inches. 



