134 
EIDER DUCK. 
length, forked in a remarkable manner, running high up in the 
forehead, between which the plumage descends nearly to the nos- 
tril, the whole of it is of a dull yellowish horn color somewhat 
dusky in the middle ; upper part of the head deep velvet black, 
divided laterally on the hind-head by a whitish band ; cheeks white ; 
sides of the head pale pea green, marked with a narrow line of 
white dropt from the ear feathers ; the plumage of this part of the 
head, to the throat, is tumid, and looks as if cut off at the end, for 
immediately below the neck it suddenly narrows, somewhat in the 
manner of the Buffel-head, enlarging again greatly as it descends, 
and has a singular hollow between the shoulders behind ; the up- 
per part of the neck, the back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and 
sides of the rump, are pure white ; lower part of the breast, belly, 
and vent, black ; tail, primaries and secondaries, brownish black, 
the tertials curiously curved, falling over the wing ; legs short, yel- 
low ; webs of the feet dusky. 
Latham has given us the following sketch of the gradual pro- 
gress of the young males to their perfect colors : “ In the first year 
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 neck and breast are spotted black and white, and 
the crown black. In the third the colors are nearly as when in full 
plumage ; but less vivid, and a few spots of black still remaining 
on the neck ; the crown black, and bifid at the back part. 
“ The young of both sexes are the same, being covered with 
a kind of hairy down : throat and breast whitish ; and a cinereous 
line from the bill through the eyes to the hind-head.” 
