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THE EIDER DUCK. 



The Eider Duck is a native of the Arctic Seas, and is found in great abundance along 

 the shores of Iceland, Greenland, Lapland, Spitzbergen, and those of Hudson's and 

 Baffin's Bays. It is chased by the Greenlanders for the sake of its flesh and its skin ; 

 the former, though rank, is valued as food ; the latter yields clothing of singular warmth 

 and comfort. 



" The down of this bird," says Shaw, " is of such value, that, when in purity, it is 

 sold in Lapland for two rix-dollars a pound ; it is extremely soft and warm, and so light 

 and expansive that a couple of handfuls squeezed together are sufficient to fill a quilt five 

 feet square." 



The males and females of the eider differ greatly in plumage, 



The Hon. A. Dillon, who spent a winter in Iceland and Lapland, obtained some 

 interesting particulars as to these birds, which we may now render available. So much 

 do they feel their security in Vidoe, that five of them had chosen as their location the 

 ground under a narrow bench that ran along the windows of the house in which he lived, 

 and, without moving away, they would peck at the hand that disturbed them. The risino- 

 ground was particularly favourable for the birds to build on, being covered with hollows 

 and inequalities that served to protect them from the weather, and only required the 

 addition of down to convert them into nests. 



The drakes are easily known by their white and black plumage ; but the dark hue of 

 the females makes it difficult to distinguish them from the holes in which they sit. 

 Owing to their lying close, they have been often trodden upon, without indicating their 

 presence till the mischief was done. The drakes, though by no means wild, will not 

 allow themselves to be handled so freely as the ducks, and mostly keep together on the 

 top of the hill. 



As soon as a nest is completed, it is usual to remove the greater part of the down, 



• Somateiiii MoUimissa. 



