KING EIDER. 
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breeding on some small islands off the coast of Grand Menan, late in June, but the eggs 
deposited then, were the second litter, the first being laid much earlier. The nests were 
placed among some loose boulders, a short distance above high water mark, and did not con¬ 
tain any more of the famous down than I have found in the nests of Black or other Ducks, 
but this may be partly accounted for, by the fact that they contained the second litter, and 
partly by the southern latitude, where the eggs would not require as warm a covering as 
further North. 
SOMATERIA SFECTABILIS. 
King Eider. 
Somateria speclabi/is Leach., Fleming, Philos. Zool.; 1822 . 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill, considerably swollen at base, and the fleshy covering projects backward on 
either side. Tertiaries, well curved outward. Color. Adult male. Top of head and nape, bluish-ash. Sides of head, 
pale bluish-green. Lower back and wings, very dark-brown glossed with, greenish on secondaries Throat, neck a.l around, 
and patch on wing and flanks, white, the first tinged with creamy. Narrow margin at base of bill, small space around eye, 
V-shaped mark on chin, and under portion, black, excepting the axillaries and middle under tail coverts which are white. 
Bill, pinkish, orange at base, iris, yellow, feet, dusky-orange. Adult female. General color yellowish-ash, becoming dark¬ 
er below, banded with dark-brown. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the swollen base of bill which gives the head a peculiar appearance, and colors as described. Distributed, 
in summer, from Labrador, northward, coming as far south as Massachusetts in winter, but very rare below Grand Menan. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens. Length, 22'50; stretch, 41‘00; wing, 10'65; tail, 3'40; bill, 1*33; tarsus, l - 75. 
Longest specimen, 25 00; greatest extent of wing, 42"00; longest wing, 11 '25; tail, 375; bill, P40; tarsus, l - 85. Shortest 
specimen, 20 00; smallest extent of wing, 40 00; shortest wing, 10'00; tail, 3'00; bill, 1*25; tarsus, P65. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests , placed on the ground near the water, composed of sticks, lined with down. Eyys, from six to ten in number, 
elliptical in form, dirty green in color. Dimensions from l'75x2'60 to l'80x2'65. 
HABITS. 
The King Eiders are one of the rarest Sea Ducks which occur on our New England 
shores and they only appear in winter. They are, however, not uncommon about Grand 
Menan and I was informed by the inhabitants of the Magdalen Islandsj that the King 
Ducks, as they were termed, were very common there in winter, and so tame that they 
could be killed with sticks. This species has similar habits to those of the preceding. 
GENUS XV. CEDEMIA. THE BLACK SEA DUCKS. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, shorter than head, rather hiyh and swollen at base, and somewhat rounded at tip. Maryinal indenta¬ 
tions, open. 
The trachea is straight and without any special dilatation. The larynx in males is expanded and provided with a bony 
frame-work. Colors, black. Stomach, muscular. Sexes, not similar. There are three species within our limits. 
CEDEMIA AMERICANA. 
Scoter. 
CEdemia Americana Sw., F. Bor. Am., H, 1832, 450. 
DESCRIPTION. ' 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, medium. Bill, rather short. Color. Adult male. Black throughout. Iris, brown, 
feet, greenish, and bill, black, orange on swollen portion. Adult female. Brown throughout, paler on sides of head and 
below where there are obscure spots of dusky. Youny. Similar to the adult female. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the absence of any white and short bill with yellow base. Distributed in summer from Labrador, north¬ 
ward ;wintering from Grand Menan to the Carolinas. 
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