THE SOCIAL LIFE OF ARCTIC BIRDS. 211 



female is less richly colored, in a modest garment adorned with gray 

 and black spots and stripes. The eider-duck is a real sea-bird, and is 

 excelled by none of its fellows in diving, while no other bird is more 

 awkward in flying and helpless in walking. On the ground it moves 

 with a toilsome waddle, stumbles and falls flat ; and it greatly prefers 

 the fluid element to the solid land. The birds generally live during 

 the winter in large flocks on the open sea, and feed themselves with 

 shell-fish which they bring up from the bottom. But, as soon as the 

 spring sun begins to shine over the waves, the drake feels newly awak- 

 ened the old love in his heart for his mate, and he renews his wooing. 

 One pair after another leave the host and swim steadily toward the 

 land. This wedding-journey toward the breeding-place offers a pretty 

 picture of conjugal life. From the moment when the pair have found 

 one another again there rules only one will, that of the duck, to which 

 the male yields fully and without any wavering. Quite noticeable are 

 his courteous attention and tenderness toward his spouse, which Madame 

 Duck takes, as matters of course, in calm dignity. She steadily makes 

 toward the shore, and finally lands, hardly heeding the cautions of her 

 mate, whose instinct, sharpened by the experiences of former journeys 

 he may have made, prompts him to beware of the devices of men. 

 Loyally he waddles into the country, and follows her in her intermina- 

 ble tours while she is looking for a suitable nesting-place. Madame 

 shows an exceedingly dainty taste during her explorations, carefully ex- 

 amining every bush, shrub, stone, and protected spot, venturing with- 

 out fear into the dwelling-houses, even into the kitchens and chambers, 

 where, if she finds a spot to her taste, she does not hesitate to take pos- 

 session of it. Occasionally she will fix her nest in the oven, leaving it 

 to the worthy matron of the establishment to find another place to 

 bake her bread. The thrift of the woman generally gets the better 

 of her vexation, and she lets the fowl alone so as not to lose its down. 

 The nest is quickly built. The foundation is laid with dry grass and 

 straw, after which the duck strips herself of down and forms with it a 

 thickly soft-cushioned bowl. The drake follows every ste]) of his 

 mistress during these excursions and preparations, and looks out for 

 her safety, without, however, " lending a hand " in any of her labors. 

 As soon as the eggs are laid he deserts nest and mate and flies oflf to 

 the sea to join the other males again. Great throngs of these grass- 

 widowers may then be seen sailing among the islands, wholly uncon- 

 cerned about what is going on on the mainland. But we shall see how 

 soon they are driven from this careless life. 



The duck lays from four to eight, sometimes indeed ten grayish- 

 green eggs, and then begins to sit upon them. The Northmen have 

 been only waiting for this time to gather their spoil. Thirty ducks' 

 nests furnish a pound of down, which can be sold on the spot for 

 thirty marks German or $7.50 American money. The eggs are also 

 worth money, and are generally sent to England. A duck-colony of 



