anatidjE. 437 



FULIGULIN^. Swains. 

 Gen. Somateria, Oidemia, Fuligula, Clangula, Harelda. 



The birds of this sub-family frequent the sea and deep parts of fresh-water 

 lakes and rivers. They walk with difficulty, but dive well, and take their prey, 

 which consists chiefly of insects, mollusca, and small fry, from some depth. Most 

 of them endeavour to escape from danger by swimming away or diving, instead 

 of taking wing. 



Distribution. — Somateria spectabilis and mollis sima are peculiarly Sea-ducks, 

 and are never, I believe, seen in fresh-water. Their food consists mostly of the 

 soft mollusca so abundant in the Arctic Sea. They are only partially migratory, 

 the older birds seldom moving farther southwards in winter than to permanent 

 open water. Some Eider Ducks winter on the coast of New Jersey ; but the 

 King Ducks have not been seen to the southward of the fifty-ninth parallel. 



Oidemia perspicillata, fusca, and nigra seek their food principally in the sea, 

 and their flesh is high-flavoured and oily. The two former breed on the Arctic 

 coasts, migrate southwards in company with Clangula glacialis, halting both on 

 the shores of Hudson's Bay and on the lakes of the interior as long as they 

 remain open, and feeding then on tender shelly mollusca. — The 0. nigra fre- 

 quents the shores of Hudson's Bay, breeding between the fiftieth and sixtieth 

 parallels. It was not seen by us in the interior. 



Fuligula valisneria, ferina, marila, and rufitorques, breed in all parts of the 

 fur-countries, from the^fiftieth parallel to their most northern limits, and associate- 

 much on the water with the Anatince. — F. rubida frequents the small lakes of 

 the interior up to the fifty-eighth parallel. It is very unwilling to take wing, and 

 dives remarkably well. In swimming, it carries its tail erect, and, from the 

 shortness of its neck, nearly as high as its head, which at a little distance causes 

 it to appear as if it had two heads. 



Clangula vulgaris and albeola frequent the rivers and fresh-water lakes through- 

 out the fur-countries in great numbers. They are by no means shy, allowing 

 the sportsman to approach sufficiently near ; but dive so dexterously at the flash 

 of the gun or the twanging of a bow, and are consequently so difficult to kill, 

 that the natives say they are endowed with some supernatural power. Hence 

 their appellation of " Conjuring " or " Spirit Ducks." — C. Barroui has hitherto 

 been found only in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Its manners do not 

 differ from those of the common Golden eye. — C. histrionica haunts eddies under 

 cascades, and rapid streams. It takes wing at once when disturbed, and is very 

 vigilant. We never saw it associating with any other Duck, and it is a rare bird. 



Harelda glacialis is abundant on the Arctic Sea. It associates with the 



