THE KING-EIDER. 367 



and throat appeared not to have been moulted, both wings were 

 in a flightless condition. 



Second winter and summer. Female. — Like that of adult but 

 if a series is compared upper-parts less brilliant, white tips to 

 secondaries and greater coverts narrower, in some secondaries 

 faintly edged ash-grey instead of white. Moult presumably as in 

 adult. Second eclipse. — Not examined. Probably as adult. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 275-288 mm., tail 79-86, 

 tarsus 42-47, bill from frontal feathering on culmen 28-34 (12 

 measured). $ wing 260-282, bill 30-35. Primaries : 1st narrow, 

 pointed and a little more than half longest primary-covert, 3rd 

 longest, 2nd 1-6 mm. shorter, 4th 8-11 shorter, 5th 22-30 shorter, 

 6th 39-47 shorter. Feathers of mantle and scapulars in female with 

 somewhat pointed or rounded tips not square as in female S. m. 

 mollissima. Long stiff scapulars with outer webs more deeply 

 emarginated than in S. m. mollissima, in ad. $ less emarginated than 

 in g. Base of upper mandible in adult $ spread out on each side 

 into a shield or lobe, which commences to develop about Feb., be- 

 comes enormous during breeding-season then subsides and is absent 

 in eclipse plumage and in winter ; absent in females and immature 

 males. Frontal feathering extends almost to nostrils and loral 

 only about half-way. Other structure as in S. m. mollissima but 

 bill smaller. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad. £) flesh-coloured, sides of upper mandible 

 and soft frontal lobes bright orange, (ad. $ and first winter $) pale 

 greenish-grey, nail in ad. $ bluish-grey tinged yellow ; legs and feet 

 (ad. $) dull orange, webs dusky, claws brown-black, (ad. $) dull 

 greenish-grey, (first winter $) dull ochre ; iris (ad. $) bright yellow, 

 (ad. $ and first winter $) dull yellow. 



Characters . — No subspecies . Distinguished from S. m. mollissima: 

 adult males by pearl-grey crown, black scapulars and innermost 

 secondaries and broad V-shaped mark on throat, and females and 

 immature males by frontal and loral feathering (see structure). 



Breeding-habits. — Occasionally a few pairs found breeding among 

 colonies of Common Eider, but most nests are to be found scat- 

 tered over the tundra. Nest. — Generally near fresh water, 

 where vegetation gives some cover, lined down, which is consider- 

 ably darker than that of Common Eider. Eggs. — 4 to 6 or 7 ; like 

 those of Common Eider, but smaller. Average of 67 eggs, 66.4 x 

 44.1. Max.: 74.6x49.4 and 73.5x50. Min. : 61.3x45 and 62.5 

 X41.5 mm. Breeding -season. — Latter half June and early July. 

 Incubation. — By female alone. Period unknown. Single brooded. 



Food. — Mainly mollusca and Crustacea except during breeding- 

 season when vegetable matter and larva? of diptera are also taken. 

 Mollusca recorded include Buccinum, Mactra, Mya, Pecten, Cyprina, 

 Mytilus, Trophon, Turritella, Modiolaria, etc. ; Crustacea {Carcinus, 

 Portunus, shrimps, etc.). Also Echinus. 



