96 BULLETIN 130, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



that each nest furnishes — as a very conservative estimate — from an ounce to 

 an ounce and a third of doAvn ; therefore 12 to 16 nests or breeding females 

 are needed for each pound. Burton states that the annual supply of down in 

 Iceland rose from 2,000 pounds in 1806 to 7,000 pounds in 1870. One can 

 easily understand the great value of this product even if the producer receives 

 only one-half of the retail price. He could count on at least 50 cents a season 

 for each breeding female in his eider fold. 



Imagine the pleasure as well as the profit that could be obtained along the 

 coast of Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Maine if these birds were 

 treated in the manner above described and flocked and nested about the habi- 

 tations of man. Then, each dweller in suitable localities by the sea could have 

 his own flock of these beautiful birds, for the female is as beautiful in her 

 modest dress of shaded and pencilled brown as is the male in his striking 

 raiment of jet black and cream and snow white, delicate sea green and dark 

 navy blue. The cooing notes, so long few or absent in many places, would 

 again resound over the waters, and best of all, to the practical minded, the 

 birds would pay well for their protection by gifts of eggs and of valuable 

 eider down. 



How can the present senseless habit of destruction be stopped and this 

 desirable state of affairs brought about? As a preliminary step in Labrador 

 and Newfoundland, I would suggest that a few islands scattered along the 

 coast should be made bird reservations, and carefully guarded by one or two 

 families who live on or near the islands. These people should be allowed 

 to take the first set of eggs and down, as well as the down left behind after 

 the duck has hatched out the second set and has left for the season, but 

 should not be allowed the use of firearms, and their Eskimo dogs must be 

 confined during the nesting season. In other words, these people must not 

 frighten the birds and must treat them kindly. The object of the experiment 

 should be spread broadcast along the coast with the request for fair play, so 

 as to restrain others from poaching and frightening the ducks on the reser- 

 vation. 



The rapidity with which the birds will respond to this treatment and the 

 intelligence they will display in the recognition of the safety spots will sur- 

 prise the people. This is the case wherever bird reservations are established. 

 At Ipswich, Massachusetts, the shores of a small, protected pond are thronged 

 with shore birds of many species which display almost no fear of man, while 

 on the neighboring beaches, where they are shot, they are very wary. In 

 the city of Boston the Charles River Basin and Jamaica Pond are the resort 

 of numerous ducks that pay but little attention to the people, while in the sea 

 and ponds near by, where shooting is allowed, the ducks show their usual 

 wildness. 



It is useless to pass laws if they are not observed or if the sentiment of the 

 community is against them. This reform, which will be of such great value to 

 our northern seacoast, can only be accomplished by education, and these bird 

 reservations with their eider farms will be one of the best means to that end. 



Spring. — ^The spring migration occurs on the New England coast 

 in the latter part of March or early in April. The birds have been 

 wintering south to Nantucket and in rare cases to Delaware and 

 Virginia. The adult males go north two or three weeks or a month 

 ahead of the females and immature. In the latter part of May and 

 early in June we found them abundant on the southern coast of the 

 Labrador Peninsula. Some of them were nesting, but it was prob- 



