FEMALE EIDER DUCK. 
211 
the wing; legs, short, yellow; wehs of the feet, 
i^^tham has given us the following sketch of the 
^•iual progress of the young males to their perfect 
flours : “ In the first year the back is white, and the 
j?’*a.l parts, except tlie crown, black ; but the rest of 
“ body is variegated with black and white. In the 
*®?nd year the neck and breast are spotted black and 
j^^'te, and the crown black. In the third the colours 
, ® nearly as when in full plumage, but less vivid, and 
spots of black still remaining on the neck ; the 
''“W'n, black, and bifid at the back part. 
. The young of both sexes are the same, being covered 
a kind of hairy down ; throat and breast, whitish ; 
a cinereous line from the bill through the eyes to 
biudhead.” * 
268. AX'AS MOLLISSISfAf LINN.a:US AND WILSON. 
FEMALE EIDER DUCK. 
PLATE LXXI. FIG. III. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
. 'I’he difference of colour in these two birds is singularly 
xhe female is considerably less than the male, 
j the bill does not rise so bigh in the forehead ; the 
u'kral colour is a dark reddish drab, mingled w'ith 
K?nter touches, and every where spotted with black; 
dusky, edged with reddish ; the greater coverts, 
ra Some of the secondaries, are tipt with white ; tail, 
L''"'«ish black, lighter than in the male ; the plumage 
L Keneral is centred with bars of black, and broadly 
,j,^**nred with rufous drab ; cheeks and space over the 
^''nii.in \i[» Letters on Iceland, observes respecting 
Iil"’’ light drab ; belly, dusky, obscurely mottled with 
.'-b : legs and feet, as in the male. 
duck, that “ the young ones quit the nest soon 
"“*■ they arc hatched, and follow the female, who leads 
to the water, where, having taken them on her 
Synopsis, iii, p. 471. 
