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 Ang-lesea. In the first year this bird is said to be slate-coloured ; 
the second year g-rey, 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 {^Somatevia molUssima, Fleming.} 
Anas molllssima, 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, Raii, Syn. 
p. 141. A. 3. F. — Will. p. 278. t. 77. F.. — Somateria mollissima, Flem. Br. 
Anim. p. J19. — Anser lanuginosus, Briss. 6. p. 294. 13. t. 29, 30 Ib. 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. — Ib. fol. 152. t. Q. — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 480. — Will. (Angl.) p. 362. t, 
76. — Lath. Syn. 6. p. 470. 29. — Ib. Supp. p. 274. — Wale. Syn. 1. t. 66. — ■ 
Lewins Br. Biids, 7. t. 244. 
Provincial . — Colk. 
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 
