ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — SOMATERIA. 75 



fectly white with drakes, who wek'omed their brown wives with loud and clamorous 

 cooing. The house itself was a marvel. The earthen walls that surrounded it and 

 the window embrasui'es were occupied by Ducks. On the ground the house was 

 fringed Avith Ducks. On the turf slopes of its roof we could see Ducks, and a Duck 

 sat on the door-scraper. The grassy banks had been cut into square patches, about 

 eighteen inches having been removed, and each hollow had been filled with Ducks. 

 A windmill was infested, and so were all the outhouses, mounds, rocks, and crevices. 

 The Ducks were everywhere. Many were so tame that we could stroke them on their 

 nests ; and the good lady told us that there was scarcely a Duck on the island that 

 would not allow her to take its eggs without flight or fear. Our hostess told us that 

 when she first became possessor of the island the produce of down from the Ducks 

 was not more than fifteen pounds in a year ; but that under her careful nurture of 

 twenty years, it had risen to nearly a hundred pounds annually. Most of the eggs 

 are taken and pickled for winter consumption, one or two only being left in each nest 

 to hatch." 



The Eider is indigenous to the northern portions of Great Britain ; but is only a 

 winter visitor, and in very limited numbers, to the southern portions, and is rarely 

 met with in Ireland. It is of rare occurrence on the coast of France. 



On the Earn Islands, off the northeastern coast of England, the Eider formerly 

 bred regularly, Mr. Selby visited these islands, and has given an interesting account 

 of his observations. In April these birds assembled in groups along the shores of 

 the mainland, and crossed over to the islands early in May. The females began to 

 lay about the 20th, when the males all deserted them, returning to the adjoining 

 coast. The nests were made of fine seaweed ; and as incubation proceeded, a lining 

 of down plucked by the bird from her own body was added. This increased from day 

 to day, and became so considerable in quantity as to envelop and entirely conceal 

 the eggs from view. Incubation lasted about a month, and the young as soon as 

 hatched were conducted to the water ; and, in many instances, this could only be done 

 by the parent carrying them in her bill. The food of the Eider consists of the differ- 

 ent mussels and other kinds of bivalves, with which the rocks are covered. This bird 

 can be reared with difficulty in confinement, and does not walk on the land readily. 

 It dives with great facility, and remains submerged a long while. 



The Messrs. Godman found this the most common Duck about Bodo, in Norway, 

 and mention finding several pairs that were breeding on a marsh, near a fresh-water 

 lake, several miles from the sea. 



Dr. Walker met with Ducks of this species on the coast of Greenland, near Godt- 

 haab; and at Bellot's Strait he saw them beginning to assemble, in the pools of water, 

 early in June. This is also cited by Professor Eeinhardt as a resident species of 

 Greenland. Hearne states that it was known, in his day, as the " Dunter Goose " in 

 the Hudson's Bay Region. It was common about the mouth of the Churchill Eiver 

 as soon as the ice broke up ; but generally flew farther north to breed, the few that 

 did remain about the settlement there being so scattered among small islands and sea- 

 girt rocks and shoals as to render it not worth while to gather their down. Their 

 eggs were exceedingly good eating ; and in the fall of the year their flesji was by no 

 means unpleasant, although this bird is known to feed on fish. 



Mr. Kumlien mentions this as the most abundant Duck at Cumberland. The old 

 males, separating from the females and young as soon as the breeding-season is over, 

 assemble in large flocks and migrate southward much earlier than the latter. This 

 Duck can endure any temperature where it can find open water. On one occasion an 

 adult male was seen in the tide rifts in January, with the thermometer at — 50° ; but 



