Eider

The genus Somateria was introduced in 1819 to accommodate the king eider by the English zoologist William Leach in an appendix to John Ross's account of his voyage to look for the Northwest Passage. The name is derived from Ancient Greek : "body" (stem somat-) and : "wool", referring to eiderdown. Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) is in a different genus despite its name. ==Species==

The genus contains three extant species. }} Two undescribed species are known from fossils, one from Middle Oligocene rocks in Kazakhstan and another from the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, United States. The former may not actually belong in this genus. ==Predation==

In Iceland, the American mink is a non-native, invasive predator that has cut eider down production by more than half. The Arctic fox is another predator of ground-nesting birds. ==Folklore==

Since the 12th century, the black-and-white common eider has been known as Saint Cuthbert's ducks in parts of Great Britain. ==See also==