292 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



a mahogany-colored stripe on side of crown, and several white 

 blotches on wings. Female, grayish-brown, with the front of 

 head and a patch on the cheek whitish. Belly 

 lighter than the back. A most expert diver, 

 living on fish and other water animals, and 

 forming but poor food for human beings. 



Length, 16 J ; wing, 1\ (7-8) ; tail, 3J ; tar- 

 sus, \\ ; culmen, IJ. Northern North 

 America ; breeding from Newfound- 

 land northward, and wintering 

 south to the Middle States and 

 California. 



21. Northern Eider 

 (159. Somat^ria mol- 

 llssima bored,lis). — 

 i This more northern 

 Harlequin Duck eider duck, which is 



rarely found as far south as Massachusetts, has the bare por- 

 tions of the bill extending backward by the sides of the culmen 

 in two narrow, rather sharp points ; in the next species these 

 points are broad and rounded. The colors are practically the 

 same as those of the Ameri- 

 can eider, given below. 



Length, 24 ; wing, 11 ; tail, 

 4 ; tarsus, 1| ; culmen, 1|. 

 Northern North America ; win- 

 tering south to coast of Massa- 

 chusetts. 



22. American Eider (160. 

 Somatiria drisseri). — In 

 breeding plumage, it is a 

 large, mainly white duck, 

 with the lower parts from 

 breast, the tail, and lower 

 back black. The head is 



1, Northern Eidei 2. American Eider 



greenish tinted, and has a large V-shaped patch of black on 

 the crown, and the breast is creamy tinted. The female (also 



