THEIR EXTENSIVE MIGRATION. 103 



ward the close of the summer the drakes as- 

 semble and take their selfish departure, leaving 

 the ducks to find their own way, and to help 

 their young along in the best manner they can. 

 In due time, however, they also take their de- 

 parture, and immense flocks of adults and young 

 may be met a hundred miles or more from land, 

 slowly migrating to the southward, some of the 

 young birds being quite weak upon the wing. 



As this species of eider-duck is almost a 

 stranger on the shores of Britain, they probably 

 pass the winter in some parts of the rocky coast 

 of Norway, but at any rate they must traverse 

 about a thousand miles of open sea, and brave 

 many a tempest before they reach their winter 

 home. 



