KING-EIDER 
Somateria spectabilis Linnaeus 
The Grey-headed Ducky Edw., Nat. Hist. Birds, iii. pi. 154 (1750). 
Anas spectabilis, Linn., Syst. Nat., ed, x,, i. p. 123 (1758). 
Anas freti kudsonis, Briss. Orn., vi, p. 366 (1760). 
Anas spectabilis, Linn., Syst. Nat, ed. xii., i. p. 195 (1766). 
Canard a tete grise, Buff., Hist. Nat. Ois., xii., p. 253 (1783). 
Bering Goose, Lath. Synop., iii. p. 465, No. 24 (1785). 
Anas beringii, Gmel., Syst. Nat., i. p. 508 (1788, ex Lath.). 
Platypus spectabilis (L.), C. L. Brehm, Lehrbuch Naturg. Eur. Vog., ii. p. 816 (1824). 
Somateria spectabilis (L.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 564. Yarrell, Saunders, Dresser, &c. 
Fuligula spectabilis (L.), Bp. Synops., p. 389, No. 332 (1828). 
Somateria megarhynchos, C. L. Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 389 (1855). 
Somateria altensteini, C. L. Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 389 (1855). 
Local Names.— King-Eider, King-Duck {English) ; Canard a tete grise {French) ; Prachtente, Pracht- 
Eiderente {German)-,'^ Krasna Gavka {Croatian); Kahajka Krasna {Czechish)) Pragt-Ederand, 
Pragt-Ederfugl, Konge-Ederfugl, Pukkelnachet-Ederfugl [Danish)) Krahschna-pihle [Esthnian) ) 
Eavekongur, Aedukongur {Fceroese) ; Pukska-haakka {Finnish) ; Ekonge, Erkonge, Spitzberg- 
Erkonge {Norwegian)) Prakg-Ejder, Kamgiding, Kamgudunge, Aederkong {Swedish); Aeder- 
kongur, Blikakongur {Icelandic) ; Kaczk okazala {Polish) ; Pistrak {Russian) ; Re degli Eider 
{Italian) ; Siorakitsok, Arnaniartak, Kingalik (male), Kaiortak (female), {Greenlandic) ; Kingaling 
{i.e. noisy bird), {Point Barrow Esqtdmaux). 
Egg.—T\\t usual number of eggs is 4 to 6 (Macfarlane and Manniche), and occasionally 
7. They are decidedly smaller than those of the Common Eider, but similar in shape and 
colour. The average size of eggs (37 measured by Goebel and 30 by Jourdain) is 
66.41x44.18 mm.; max., 74.6x49.4 and 73.5x50; min., 61.3x45 and 62.5x41.5 mm. 
(Jourdain) ; average weight (31 eggs) is 477 eg., varying from 396 to 540 eg. 
Down. — "Dull sooty-grey; male feathers greyish-white at the base, and bill rather 
light-brown on terminal portion " (H. E. Dresser). Down in the collection of Mr. P. F. 
Bunyard is a pale chocolate-brown. An example in the collection of Major Proctor (from 
Alaska) is described as "very dark brown, feathers lighter brown, with perpendicular dark- 
brown streaks and banded lighter brown." In another nest from Alaska, in the Jourdain 
collection, the down is darker than that of the Common Eider. 
The nesting site is often amongst Common Eiders {cf. Le Roi in Koenig's Avif. Spitz- 
bergensis, p. 246, &c.). In North-East Greenland, Mr. Manniche tells me, the King-Eiders 
generally nest beside fresh-water pools at a short distance from the sea, and occasionally 
in company with Long-tailed Ducks. 
The nesting season seems to be similar to the Common Eider in its circumpolar home. 
Young in Z^'^^to.— Somewhat smaller than the Common Eider and also lighter in 
colour, with a tinge of yellowish-grey on the upper parts. Even in its earliest stages the 
1 Various German names (trans.) are Glory-Duck, Glory Eider-Duck, Glory Eider-Goose, King's-Duck, King's-Goose, King's 
Elder-Goose, Hump-beaked Eider-Bird, Short-beaked Eider Diving-Duck. 
VOL. II. 33 ^ 
