VOL. vn.] NOTES ON THE COMMON EIDER. 103 



breeding on the banks of little tarns and bog-holes. 

 The black-and-white plumage of the drake, as he stood 

 sentry for his incubating mate in the heather, was very 

 conspicuous, and he was never seen far away from the 

 nest. 



Off the sea-island of Eilean Mor, one of us had an 

 opportunity of watching the courtship of the Eider. 



EIDER DUCK BROODINCt. 

 {Copyright hy Maud D. Haviland). 



The behaviour of the drake resembled that of the Red- 

 breasted Merganser under similar circumstances : this 

 display consisting in a peculiar bobbing or jerking move- 

 ment of the head as he swam round the duck ; but the 

 distance was too great to learn whether any call 

 accompanied the actions. 



Mr. Robinson (supra, p. 20) states that in Orkney in 

 winter, female Eiders predominate in numbers over 

 males, but in the Outer Hebrides throughout May and 



