EIDER DUCK. 459 



smaller), and Franz- Josef Land. It nests in Novaya 

 Zemlya, but eastward it seems doubtful if its range extends 

 beyond Cape Cbelyuskin, for Pallas's statement that it is 

 found at the mouth of the Lena and in Kamtschatka is 

 unconfirmed, and it is possible that he may have mistaken 

 for it a larger and distinct species, Somateria v. -nigrum, the 

 male of which has a black chevron under the chin. Our 

 Eider is found in Greenland, as far north as Thank-God 

 Harbour, in 81° 38' N. lat., and westward to the mouth of 

 the Coppermine River in Arctic America ; but on the North 

 Atlantic coast, from Labrador to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 it is replaced in summer by >S'. dresseri, in which the bill is 

 more gibbous, the bare space behind the nostril more exten- 

 sive, and the sickle-shaped secondaries are more developed. 

 This form will probably be exterminated by the Indians and 

 fishermen at no distant date. 



The breeding of the Eider Duck under the protection 

 afforded to it in Northern Europe for the sake of its valuable 

 down has often been described. Hewitsou mentions the 

 Eiders as the most numerous of the Ducks breeding on 

 some of the islands on the west coast of Norway, where they 

 are strictly preserved. Upon one island which his party 

 visited with the keeper, the females were sitting in great 

 numbers, and were so perfectly tame and on such familiar 

 terms with the latter, that some of them would even allow 

 him to stroke them on the back with his hand. The male 

 birds at the time were floating about in hundreds among the 

 islands, giving the sea a lively and beautiful appearance. 

 A fuller, and more interesting account is given by Mr. C. H. 

 Shephei-d in his book on the North-west Peninsula of 

 Iceland. Although the nest of the Eider is usually at no 

 great distance from the water, it has occasionally been found 

 a mile or two inland, and also at a considerable elevation. 

 Major Feilden states that he has taken one in the Shet- 

 lands, placed in the midst of knee-deep heather, at least 

 500 ft. above sea-level ; and Miiller mentions having found 

 one on the top of the island of Hestoe, at an altitude of 

 1000 to 1200 ft. 



