64 BRITISH BIIWS' XESTS. 



aucl departing in September and later. Note, itir- 

 tur, repeated rapidly. Local and other names : 

 Wrekin Dove, King-necked Tm-tle, Common Turtle. 

 Sits pretty closely when incubation has advanced, 

 and when disturbed, Hies off without demonstration. 



DUCK, EIDER. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 twent3'-five inches. Bill moderately long, thick at 

 the base, straight, and dirty green, whitish at the 

 tip. Irides brown. The top of the head, including 

 the parts round and on a level with the eyes, 

 velvety black, turning to a palish green on the 

 ear-coverts and back of the head. Neck, back, 

 wing-coverts, and scapulars white. Some of the 

 coverts are elongated, and curved at the ends 

 falling over the quills ; greater coverts, and quills 

 black. Rump black, tail feathers brownish-black. 

 The lower part of the neck is white, tinged with 

 buff. Breast, belly, and under-parts black ; Hanks 

 patched with white. Legs, toes, and webs dusky- 

 green ; claws dusky. 



The female is somewhat smaller, and pale 

 reddish-brown, variegated with brownish black. 



Situation and Localitij. — On the ground amongst 

 coarse grass, in clefts of rock, and sometimes 

 in collections of seaweed, amongst shingle, on 

 rocky islands, and on the coast at suitable places 

 round Scotland and at the Fame Islands. Our 

 first illustration represents an Eider Duck sitting 

 on her eggs, and the second a nest containing 

 only three eggs, and yet with down in it. AYe 

 stroked the back of one bird as she sat on her eggs 

 close under the walls of St. Cuthbert's Tower. The 



