EIDER DUCK. 411 



even more familiar than the common Domestic Ducks. 

 All round the house, on the garden wall, on the roofs, and 

 even in the inside of the houses, and in the chapel, were 

 numbers of Ducks sitting on their nests. Such as had not 

 been long on the nest generally left it on being approached ; 

 but those that had more than one or two eggs sat perfectly 

 quiet, suffering us to touch them, and sometimes making a 

 gentle use of their bills to remove our hands. When a 

 Drake happens to be near his mate, he is extremely agitated 

 when any one approaches her. He passes and repasses 

 between her and the object of his suspicion, raising his 

 head and cooing. 



One female, during the whole time of laying, generally 

 gives half a pound of neat down, and double that quantity 

 before cleansing. According to Troil,* in the year 1750, the 

 Iceland Company sold as much of this article as amounted 

 to =£850 sterling, besides deducting what was sent directly 

 to Gluckstad. 



At the time of pairing, according to Brunnich, and Ski- 

 oldebrand, the male is heard continually calling out with a 

 raucous and moaning voice 'Aa lio, ^ha ho; but the cry of 

 the female resembles that of the Common Duck. At this 

 exciting period the males, more numerous than their mates, 

 have sharp contests with each other, and the vanquished 

 and superannuated are afterwards seen wandering about 

 at sea, in much milder climates than the rest of their frater- 

 nity. Both birds labor in concert, while forming the nest ; 

 and though the male gives no assistance in hatching, dur- 

 ing the period of laying, he keeps strict watch in the 

 vicinity, giving notice of any danger as soon as it appears. 

 The Ravens, it seems, no less than the Gulls, are the ene- 

 mies of this valuable bird, often sucking the eggs, and kill- 

 Letters on Iceland. 



