FOR CAGES AND A VIARlES. 47 



The Wood Pigeon or Wood Quest. See Ringdove. 



THE DUCKS. 



The Eider Duck. 



Every one knows this Duck, at least by repute. It is 

 a large handsome species, entirely a bird of the ocean, 

 of wandering rather than migratory habits, and occurs 

 principally in the outlying Scottish Islands, where it is 

 protected on account of the valuable down plucked from 

 its own body for covering the eggs: these are of a light 

 green colour and are four or five in number. 



^^'r^^'^^ 



Eider Ducks. 



The male weighs between 6 and 8 pounds, and the female 

 a few ounces less. The top of his head is jet black, which 

 is also the colour of the lower half of the breast, the 

 belly, under tail-coverts and rump ; the shoulders are 

 slate-colour and so is the nape of the neck ; the wings 

 and tail are grevish-brown, and the remainder white. 



