CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 1 95 



small numbers to the western and southern coasts of 

 England, but along the east coast it gradually 

 becomes more abundant as we proceed northwards." 

 In Ireland it is hardly known. This Duck is 

 undoubtedly more abundant in Norwegian waters ; 

 and there it is strictly preserved on account of the 

 value of the down. The nest is often placed in 

 heather on some island in a sea loch or among-st 

 coarse herbage and rocks generally not very far 

 distant from the water, and is composed of grasses 

 and seaweed. There are from five to eight eggs, of 

 a dull green. During incubation the female lines 

 the nest with the down plucked from her body, 

 so that the eggs are completely enveloped in it. 

 When she leaves them temporarily she carefully 

 covers them with down till her return. Durinof 

 incubation the males all congregate together. 



The specimens in the case were obtained while I 

 was staying at the Hotel, Castle Bay, Island of 

 Barra, in the year 1901, being bent upon adding 

 some good specimens to a collection which was then, 

 you might say, in embryo. The lessee, Simon 

 McKenzie, gave me all the assistance he could, and 

 often used to accompany me in my daily trips. My 

 plan was to hire a sailing-boat and take my chance 

 of birds on the water or on the wingf accordino- as 

 circumstances offered. I found the Eider Drake a 

 very tough bird to kill, as dropping him on the 

 water on the wing was only a sort of preliminary ; 

 for, clever in the art of diving, he would require 

 several shots before he would succumb. Very often 



