Steller's Eider 51 
"They disappear from the ist to the middle of August, and when gathered in large flocks are 
exceedingly wild and hard to approach. 
"Though less abundant in the early part of the season of 1883 than they had been in 1882, 
they were, on the other hand, much more plenty after the sea opened, and stayed considerably 
later." 
Describing this species as a winter inhabitant of Unalaska Island, L. M. Turner 
{Contrib. Nat. Hist. Alaska, pp. 135-6, 1886), says : — 
" In winter it abounds in Captain's Harbour on Unalaska Island. It keeps off-shore and ventures 
nearer only in boisterous weather. It dives deep in the water for its food, and remains under a great 
length of time. Its food is of an animal nature, procured from the sea." 
I can find no notes relating to the courtship of this duck, which may differ from that of 
the other Eiders. 
W. H. Dall describes the nest as built between two tussocks of dry grass, and depres- 
sion carefully laid with the same material. Nest entirely concealed by overhanging grasses 
and found by bird flying out at the finder's feet. Middendorfi" found nests on flat tundra in 
the moss, and describes them as deep, round, and lined with down. The male keeps in the 
vicinity of the female, who sits closely and leaves the nest unwillingly. The same naturalist 
found them breeding in fair numbers on the Taimyr, but less often than S. spectabilis. He 
found fresh clutches on June 25 to 26 (presumably old style, i.e. July 7 and 8) on the Boga- 
nida. W. H. Dall found a nest with one egg on an islet near Unalaska, but Stejneger 
throws some doubt on the occurrence. Macllhenny took eggs at Point Barrow on June 22, 
and there was a nest with six eggs in the Proctor Collection, which I have examined, also 
taken by Macllhenny on June 26, 1898. Von Middendorff" states that the female is very 
unwilling to leave the nest, and when disturbed flies off* "with a harsh cry reminiscent of 
our Teal, but still more harsh." Steller found a nest in Kamtschatka amongst precipitous 
rocks near the coast. 
