410 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



is not unusual to find upwards of 10 in the same nest, 

 which is thus occupied peaceably by two females. In Nor- 

 way and Iceland, the Eider districts are considered as val- 

 uable property, carefully preserved, and transmitted by in- 

 heritance. There are spots that contain many hundreds of 

 these nests ; and the Icelanders are at the utmost pains to 

 invite the Eiders, each into his own estate ; and when they 

 perceive that they begin to frequent some of the islets 

 which maintain herds, they soon remove the cattle and dogs 

 to the main land, to procure the Eiders an undisturbed re- 

 treat; and to accommodate them, sometimes cut out holes in 

 rows on the smooth sloping banks, of which, to save them- 

 selves trouble, they willingly take possession and form their 

 nests. These people have even made many small islands 

 for this purpose, by disjoining promontories from the conti- 

 nent. It is in these retreats of peace and solitude that the 

 Eiders love to settle ; though they are not averse to nestle 

 near habitations, if they experience no molestation. '' A 

 person," says Horrebow,' " as I myself have witnessed, may 

 walk among these birds while they are sitting, and not scare 

 them ; he may even take the eggs and yet they will renew 

 their laying as often as three times." According to the 

 relation of Sir George Mackenzie,* on the 8th of June at 

 Vidoe, the Eider Ducks, at all other times of the year per- 

 fectly wild, had now assembled in great numbers to nestle. 

 The boat, by which they approached the shore, passed 

 through multitudes of these beautiful fowls, which scarcely 

 gave themselves the trouble to go out of the way. Between 

 the landing place and the governor's house the ground was 

 strewed with them, and it required some caution to avoid 

 treading on the nests. The Drakes were walking about, 

 uttering a sound very like the cooing of Doves, and were 



* Travels in Iceland, p. 126. (4to. Ed. 2.) 



