THE BLACK SCOTER. 231 
most beautiful, tlie conspicuous white patch on their wing contrasting 
with their black plumage. Thousands of these birds may often be 
seen in the Frith of Forth, often intermingled with black Scoters, 
and sometimes with other birds. 
The Black Scoter is somewhat smaller than the Velvet, 
the average length being about eighteen inches ; the upjDcr 
mandible of the bill has a rounded compressed knob at the 
base, which is more conspicuous than that of the other 
Scoters. This species arrives on our coasts soon after the 
middle of autumn, and is to be seen here and there often 
in considerable flocks along the whole eastern side of 
Britain, from Shetland and Orkney, where it is not un- 
common, to its southern extremity. Its habits are essentially 
the same as those of the Velvet Scoter. Audubon found, the 
nest of this bird also in Labrador. ' It was placed at the 
distance of about two yards from the margin of a large 
fresh -water pond, about a mile from the shore of the gulf 
of St. Lawrence, under a low fir, in the manner often 
adopted by the Eider Duck, the nest of which it somewhat 
resembles, although it was much smaller.' He afterwards 
found a female with some young ones, of which she took 
such effectual care that none fell into his hands. On several 
occasions, when they were fatigued by diving, she received 
them all on her back, and SAvimming deeply, though very 
fast, took them to the shore, where the little things lay 
close among the tall grass and entangled bushes. 
The Common or White-backed Eider {Somatena mollis- 
sima)y sometimes called St. Cuthbert's Duck, or Dunter 
Goose. 
The King or Black-backed Eider (S. spectabilis), 
often called the King Duck. — The Eider Ducks (genus 
Somaterici) are birds of large size, having bodies of an 
elliptical form, and considerably depressed ; they have 
moderately long and thick necks, and large oblong flattish 
heads. They inhabit the cold and frigid zones of both 
continents, living in the open sea, or in channels or bays, 
during the greater part of the year, and feeding on bivalve 
shell-fish, for which they dive. In summer most of them 
betake themselves to the arctic regions, where they nestle 
