British Diving Ducks 3 
of these parts, as well as the rest of the bill, is somewhat different from the other 
races. In a specimen shot by myself in Nova Scotia in November 1899, the frontal 
angles were orange-yellow, and this colour extends down the bill and its sides to near 
the nail, when it becomes clear bone-yellow. The nail itself is very pale bone-yellow, 
almost white. The legs and toes pure yellow, with the webs dusky brown-black. Toe 
and nails brown. The nostril is large. 
Enormous flocks of this Eider sometimes congregate in Nantucket Sound in winter, 
and Mr. George Mackay states {The Waterfowl Family, p. 169) that on March 18, 
1890, "he saw, near Nantucket, a flock containing about twelve thousand of this species." 
These Eiders are shot to decoys all along the Canadian and Atlantic coasts of 
America, and are known as Sea-duck, Shoal-duck, Wamp, and Black and White Coot. 
5. Somateria mollissinia fceroeensis, Brehm.— Faroes. This may best be described 
as a dwarf race of Eiders, which are most closely allied to the British birds. The females 
are very dark in colour, more so than those of any other race, and this was quite 
constant in a number of specimens shown to me by Mr. Schioler. The frontal angles 
of the bill are short and pointed. At present I have not yet been able to ascertain the 
exact colour of the bill of the adult male. 
6. Somateria mollissima islandica, Brehm. — Iceland. Possibly extending to Russian 
Lapland and the White Sea and its islands. This may or may not be considered a 
good sub-species, but in viewing a large series of Eiders it is not difficult to pick out 
the Icelandic birds, which are nearly akin to, but larger than, the Norse race. Colour 
of the bill green, with long and pointed frontal angles. The Icelandic birds are similar 
to those found by Mr. Manniche in N.E. Greenland. 
7. Somateria 7nollissima norwegica, Brehm. — Extends from the island of Jaederen 
(opposite Christiania) to Spitsbergen along the whole of the Norwegian coast, and east 
from Finmark along the Russian Lapland coast, the White Sea, the Russian Islands 
to the peninsula of Yalmal (Kara Sea).' This bird seems to be identical with 5. m. danica 
(Brehm), which is resident on the coasts of Denmark and Jutland. 
Birds of this race also breed sparingly in Denmark (Winge and Schioler), in Germany, 
in the North Frisian Islands, Sylt, and Norderoog (Naumann, Durnford, Ibis, 1874, 
p. 403, &c.) ; Holland (Vlieland in 1906, Van Oort, Orn. Monatsberichte, 1906, p. 173, &c., 
and on Terschelling, Van Oort, List of Dutch Birds, p. 153); France, breeds on an islet 
off the coast of Brittany (C. Ingram, ZooL, 191 2, p. 232). 
Winters along the coasts of Europe, and occasionally is met with far inland ; a few 
E. Prussia (Hartert, Ibis, gz, p. 519); France, winters on coasts chiefly of N. and W. ; 
accidental on Mediterranean (P. Paris, Cat. des Oiseaux de la France, p. 50), [not in 
Spain or Portugal]; Azores, once {Nov. Zoolog., xii. p. 119); Switzerland, on lakes (Fatio, 
Oiseaux de la Suisse, ii. p. 1403) ; Italy, about 17 or 18 occurrences (Giglioli, 
Avifauna Italica, 2° Resoc. p. 489); Austria-Hungary, 14 occurrences (Reiser, Orn. 
Jahrb., 1895, p. 260); Styria and Vorarlberg {Orn. Jahrb., 98, p. 72); Bosnia once, 
and once in Balkan peninsula (Reiser, Orn. Jahrb., 95, p. 260). 
Smaller than the typical Swedish birds, but equal to the British race in size. Frontal 
1 At present it seems uncertain as to the local race to which these Eiders belong, but probably both S. m. borealis 
and S. 711. norwegica are found there. 
