THE EIDER DUCK. 509 



by the freezing of lakes and marshes, since it finds its 

 rest and food on the open sea. Consequently it is not 

 migratory, and stray specimens only visit the southern 

 shores of England. Where it was bred, there, probably, 

 or not far off, it remains all the year round. The Farn 

 Islands, off the coast of ISTorthumberland, are considered 

 to be the extreme southern limit of its breeding ground. 

 In the Hebrides, the Orkneys and Shetland Islands, it is 

 quite at home, but in none of these places is it found in 

 sufficient numbers to give it importance. 



In the Arctic Eegions, in Iceland, and on the rocky 

 coasts of Norway and Sweden, Eider Ducks are very nu- 

 merous. In Labrador, Audubon informs us, they begin 

 to form their nests about the end of May or the beginning 

 of June. " For this purpose some resort to islands scantily 

 furnished with grass ; others choose a site beneath the 

 spreading boughs of stunted firs, and, in such places, 

 five, six, or even eight are sometimes found beneath a 

 single bush ; many are placed on the sheltered shelvings 

 of rocks a few feet above high-water mark. The nest, 

 which is sunk as much as possible into the ground, is 

 formed of sea-weeds, mosses, and dried twigs, so matted 

 and interlaced as to give an appearance of neatness to the 

 central cavity, which rarely exceeds seven inches in dia- 

 meter. In the beginning of June the eggs are deposited, 

 the male attending upon the female the whole time. The 

 eggs, which are regularly placed on the moss and weeds of 

 the nest without any down, are generally from five to seven. 

 When the full complement of eggs has been laid, the 

 female begins to pluck some down from the lower part of 

 the body : this operation is daily continued for some time, 

 until the roots of the feathers, as far forward as she can 

 reach, are quite bare. This down she disposes beneath 

 and around the eggs. When she leaves the nest to go 

 in search of food, she places it over her eggs to keep up 

 their warmth." 



