Spitzbergen were smaller than those in the seas of Greenland^
T ö thelwestward these birds were noticed in Davis’ Straits,:
Baffin’s Bay, and on each of the Arctic voyages performed
by Sir Edward Parry and others* The Eider Duck is. also
found" in the northern parts of North America, as will be
found by a reference to the ornithological works of Dr. Richardson,
Mr. Audubon, and Wilsonv «-
In the adult male thé beak is dusky green; the nail
white; the irides brown ; top of the head velvet black; lore
and cheeks white ; ear-coverts and occiput pale green; back,
scapulars* tertials, point of wing, „and smaller",wing-coverts
white; greater wing-coverts black ; wing primaries and secondaries
dull black; the tertials elongated, and falling partly
over them ; rump black; tail-feathers dull black; chin and
upper part of neck in front white ; lower part of neck pale
buff; breast, belly, sides, and all the under^ serfage Black,
except a patch on the flank, which is white ; legs, toes, and
their membranes dusky green. The whole length twenty-five
inches. From the point of the wing to the end of the longest
quill-feather eleven inches.
Mr. Robert Dunn says- the maies VvSry very much-^at different'seasons
of thé year : that part which in: the winter i s
pure white, in thé summer becomes mottled with black, in
some birds much more so than in. others. Él
Young males of the Eider are" at first like the adult female,
but when changing in their first winter the head and neck are
mottléd with two shades of dark brown, within, few white
feathers appearing through inr different parts;; -lower portion
n f neck, and upper part óf the back, mottled black and white;
wing-coverts and tertials becoming white; the rest of the
plumage black ; legs and bill greenish-grey. The pure white
colour is assumed by slow degrees; and the males do not attain
the appearance of adult birds till their third winter. '
The female in colour is like the hen of the Black Grouse,
namely, a pale brown, tinged with red, and varied with marks
of darker brown; very similar, to the female of the King
Duck hereafter figured;„the quill and tail-feathers dull black.
-rstsThs^windpipe ofi the male Ei:<|||| measures nine inches in
length, the tube uniform in size throughout; the bony labyrinth
and inferior ttf|||S: as represented below.