ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 233 
about a quarter of a pound during the breeding season, the 
price having been known to rise as high as twenty shillings per 
pound. Much interesting information respecting the habits of 
these birds may be found in the works of Audubon, Pennant, 
and Sir J. W. Hooker (“Journal of a Tour in Iceland) ; as well 
as in Shepherd’s “North West Peninsular of Iceland.” 
Specimens have existed for several years in the Zoological 
Gardens of London, eating grain and other food. 
Male.—Crown of head velvet black, divided by a white 
line ; nape of neck emerald green ; upper body yellowish-white ; 
breast rich buff; tail blackish-brown ; legs greenish-yellow ; 
eyes brown ; bill of a remarkable formation, commencing high 
up in the forehead and forked in the base, olive green ; lower 
breast and abdomen black, the white saddle feathers curved 
and falling over the wing ; weight five to six pounds. 
Female.—Light brown edged with black ; tail and wing 
feathers darker ; bill and legs blackish-green ; eyes brown. 
Young.—In down, ashy-brown above, whitish below ; 
feathers similar to female, assuming full plumage only at the 
third year. 
Egg.—Olive green ; four to six in number ; size of those 
of Wild Goose ; May—June; incubation three to four weeks. 
Nest Down.—Greyish-brown, lighter in the centre. 
KING EIDER. 
(Somateria spectabihs.) 
This Eider Duck is smaller than the common species, 
and in certain respects differ from it. It is a winter visitor 
from North America, and has been obtained in the British 
Isles on some thirty different occasions. In general habits it 
resembles Somateria mollissima. 
