THE BIRD BOOK 



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162. King Eidkr. Somateria spectahilis. 



Range. — Northern Hemisphere, breeding in 

 America Iroiu Labrador to Greenland and the 

 Arctic Ocean; snntli in winter to tlie New Eng- 

 land States and rarely farther on the eastern 

 side, and to the Aleutians on the Pacific; also 

 casually to the Great Lakes in the interior. 



A handsome and very different species from 

 any of the foregoing, having the crown ashy blue, 

 and the long scapulars black instead of white. 

 It also has a broad V-shaped mark on the throat. 

 Like all the other" Eiders, the female is mottled 

 brown and black, .the different species being very 

 difficult to separa.te. The nests are sunk in the 

 ground and lined 'with down. Eggs number from 

 six to ten. Size 2.S0 x l.SO. Data. — Point Barrow, 

 Alaska, July 5, 189S. Five eggs. Nest a hollow 

 in the moss on tundra lined with moss and down. 

 Collector, E. A. Mcllhenny. 



163 



Scoter. Otdemiu amerivana. 



Range. — Northern North America, breeding 

 from Lalirador, the Hudson Bay region and the 

 Aleutien Islands - northward: winters south to 

 Virginia, the Great Lakes and California. 



Scoters or "Coofs" as they are generally called 

 are sea ducks whose plumage is almost wholly 

 black; they have -fantastically colored and shaped 

 bills. The American Scoter is entirely black 

 without markings; base of bill yellow and orange. 

 This species nest; as do the Eiders, often conceal- 

 ing the nest, of grass and feathers, under some 

 overhanging rock. They lay from six to ten eggs 

 of a dingy buff color. Size 2.50 xl.70. Data. — 

 Mackenzie Bay, .June 15, 1S99. Ton eggs. Nest 

 a hollow in the sand, lined with down. 



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