68 THK BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



In the performance, it is asserted, the drake constantly raises 

 himself in the water to flap his wings so as to display his 

 best "points," but after watching the birds for several con- 

 secutive days I came to the conclusion that the duck and 

 immature drakes flapped as often as the suitors. At all and 

 any time ducks raise themselves in the water and flap their 

 wings, just as we and other animals stretch and yawn. 



In many places the Eider gets more or less protection on 

 account of the value of its well-known grey down ; indeed, the 

 misguided duck is shamelessly exploited, tempted to nest under 

 protection and thus induced to pluck herself, and when the 

 eggs most need the heat-retaining down, it is stolen, and the bird 

 has to begin again. The nest, constructed of grass, heather, or 

 seaweed, is placed in various situations, sometimes in heather 

 or thrift in the open, but often under the shelter of a wall or 

 rock. The large greenish eggs (Plate 14) usually number four 

 or five, but much larger clutches are recorded. Fresh eggs 

 may be found from May to July, but late broods may be due to 

 the earlier eggs having been taken for food. Where the bird is 

 protected it is a close sitter and absurdly tame ; it is possible 

 to stroke the sitting " St. Cuthbert's Duck " on the Fames. In 

 the Hebrides, however, Miss Turner found it rather camera 

 shy. The sitting or rather crouching position of the bird on 

 the nest, shown on Plate 25, suggests a desire to gain conceal- 

 ment. It might well express nest weariness, for Mr. W. H. St. 

 Ouintin found that his captive Eiders sat for twenty-eight days 

 without taking food or water, and apparently never left the nest. 

 Long before the eggs hatched the old duck was '' buried over- 

 head, nest and all, in a mass of luxuriant chickweed." The 

 young in down are brown with grey or yellowish eye-stripes 

 and under parts, and their bills and feet are blue-grey. The 

 duck leads them to the water at an early age, and sometimes 

 joins forces with other old birds. Some observers state that 

 the drake, like other ducks, deserts the female during incuba- 



