EIDER DUCK. 



171 



ever, now become a very rare bird in this kingdom ; one instance only 

 of its being killed in these realms is on record by modern authors, and 

 that in Anglesea. In the first year this bird is said to be slate-coloured ; 

 the second year grey, spotted with white. It is not uncommon in 

 many parts of Europe and Asia ; is found also in Africa, and in 

 America about New York and Long Island, some of the West India 

 islands, and Cayenne. 



The feathers of this bird were formerly much esteemed as ornaments 

 for the head-dress, especially those of the scapulars. 



EIDER DUCK (Somateria mollissima, Fleming.) 



Anas mollissima, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 198. 15. — Grnel. Syst. 2. p. 514. — Ind. Orn. 



2. p. 845. 35 Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 848— Anas S. Cuthberti, Rail, Syn. 



p. 141. A. 3. F Will. p. 278. t. 77. F Somateria mollissima, Flem. Br. 



Anim. p. J 19.— A user lanuginosus, Briss. 6. p. 294. 13. t. 29, 30 lb. 8vo. 2. 



p. 440 — Oie a duvet, Eider, Buff. Ois. 9. p. 103. t. 6 Great black and white 



Duck, Edw. t. 98. M. &. F — Eider, or Cuthbert Duck, Br. Zool. 2. No. 271. 



t. 95 lb. fol. 152. t. Q Arct. Zool. 2. No. 480. — Will. (Angl.) p. 362. t. 



76 — Lath. Syn. 6. p. 470. 29 lb. Supp. p. 274.— Wale. Syn. 1. t. 66— 



Lewin's Br. Birds, 7. t. 244. 



Provincial. — C oik. 



This species is nearly double the size of the common duck ; length 

 twenty-two inches. The bill is black ; the top of the head is black, 

 taking in the eyes, and continuing in a line on each side, where the 

 feathers project on the bill almost as far as the nostrils ; below the nape 

 of the neck, on each side, the feathers are of a pale green ; the rest of 

 the head, neck, breast, back, scapulars, and wing coverts, are white ; 

 some of the coverts are long, and somewhat curved at the ends, falling- 

 over the quills, which are black ; the under parts from the breast are 

 black ; tail black ; legs dull green. In some the base of the wings and 

 middle of the back is black. 



These birds do not arrive to maturity in plumage till the third, or 

 perhaps the fourth year. 



In the first the back is white, and the usual parts, except the crown, 

 black ; but the rest of the body is variegated with black and white. In 

 the second year the crown of the head is black, and the neck and 

 breast spotted black and white. Other varieties have also been ob- 

 served. 



The female weighs about three pounds and a half; the general 

 colour of the plumage reddish brown, barred with black ; the hind part 

 of the neck marked with dusky streaks ; on the wings are two bars of 

 white ; belly deep brown, indistinctly marked with black ; tail dusky ; 

 legs black. 



The Eider Duck is rarely, if ever, seen in the south of England ; it 



