COMMON EIDEE. 



SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA (Linn.). 



Anas, mollissima, Linn. S. N. i. p. 198 (1766) ; Naum. xii. 

 p. 252. 



Somateria mollissima, Macg. v. p. 147 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 414 ; 

 Yarr. ed. 4, iv. p. 457 ; Dresser, vi. p. 629. 



Morillon Eider, French; Eider-Gans, German. 



As this well-known and conspicuous Duck is entirely 

 unknown to me in a state of freedom, I will content 

 myself by summing up the main points related by our 

 standard authorities concerning its habits. It breeds on 

 the Fame and Coquet Islands and certain localities along 

 the whole east coast of Scotland, in the Orkneys, Shet- 

 lands, and many of the Western Isles, including those 

 of the St. Kilda group. To other parts of our coast it is 

 an irregular and accidental winter visitor, and is said to 

 be extremely rare on the shores of Ireland. Besides the 

 British localities above mentioned, Iceland, the Faroes, 

 Spitzbergen, and many of the islands off the Scan- 

 dinavian coasts are frequented by these Ducks in great 

 numbers during the breeding-season, when they become 



