EIDER D.U C K. Class IK 



after that, fhe will dill lay •, but the drakes muft 

 kipply the down, as her flock is now exhaufted - 9 

 but if her eggs are taken a third time, fhe wholly 

 deferts the place. 



When I vifited the Farn tfies*, I found the 

 ducks fitting, and toke fome of the nefts, the bafe 

 of which were formed of fea plants, and covered 

 with the down. After feparating it carefully from 

 the plants, it weighed only three quarters of an 

 ounce, yet was fo elaftic as to fill a larger fpace 

 than the crown of the greateft hat. Thefe birds are 

 not numerous on the ifles ; and it was obferved 

 that the drakes kept on thofe mod remote from 

 the fitting places. The ducks continue on their 

 nefts till you come almoft clofe to them, and when 

 they rife are very flow fliers* The number of eggs 

 in each neft were from three to five, warmly bed- 

 ded in the down ; of a pale olive color, and very 

 l ar g e > glofTy and fmooth. 

 Dfocrit. This kind is double the fize of the common 

 duck : its bill is black ; the feathers of the fore- 

 head and cheeks advance Far into the bafe, fo as 

 to form two very fharp angles : the forehead is of 

 a full velvet black : from the bill to the hind 

 part of the head is a broad black bar, paffing a- 

 crofs the eyes on each fide : on the hind part of the 

 neck, juft beneath the ends of thefe bars, is a 

 broad pea-green mark, that looks like a ftain : 



* July 15 th. 1769, 



ehe 



