THE EIDER DUCK 197 
for the grace and vivacity of his movements. Their flight fs 
rapid, direct, and generally performed at the height of a few feet. 
They rise easily from the water, especially when facing a breeze, 
and alight rather abruptly. Sometimes during the day, but 
more frequently at night, they emit various loud and rather 
plaintive cries, as well as cacklings of shorter guttural notes.’ Mr. 
Hewitson, who met with many of them in Norway, considers 
their note to be strikingly wild and most interesting. Farther north 
the Long-Tailed Duck is yet more abundant. Mr. Dunn says, ‘ This 
species (Calloo) is very abundant in both Orkney and Shetland, 
arriving about the middle of October, and departing again in the 
month of March. It is to be met with in all the inlets or voes, 
generally in large flocks, never far from the land, feeding upon small 
shellfish and star-fish. When on the wing it utters a musical cry, 
something like ‘‘ Calloo”, which may be heard at a great distance. 
From this cry it derives its provincial name.’ In the Arctic regions 
of both continents these birds are so numerous as to be known by 
the name of ‘ Arctic Ducks’. They build their nests among rushes 
near the shore of fresh-water lakes, and line them with down from 
their breasts, like the Eider Duck. Iceland appears to be the 
extreme southern limit of their breeding-ground. 
The Long-Tailed Duck is described by Willughby under the name 
of Anas caudacuta Islandica, by the natives called Havelda. Selby 
and modern ornithologists have preserved the Iceland name in 
Harolda. 
THE EIDER DUCK 
SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA 
Prolongations of the bill flat; upper part of the head velvet-black, with a 
central whitish band, lower greenish white; neck and back white; 
breast ringed with red; lower plumage black; bill and feet greenish 
grey; irides brown. Female—general plumage reddish brown, with 
transverse black bars; wing-coverts black, bordered with dark reddish 
brown; two whitish bars across the wing; belly brown barred with 
black. Length twenty-five inches. Eggs shining greenish grey. 
Tue Eider Duck differs from all the birds of the same tribe hitherto 
described, in being essentially and absolutely a sea-bird. Rarely 
found on inland waters, it does not even visit the fresh-water lochs 
which, in many places in the north, are only separated from the 
sea by a bar of sand and shingle. It spends the greater part of its 
time on the water, and feeds on fish, molluscs, and other animal 
matter which it can obtain by diving. In the latter art it is very 
expert, and when pursued by the fowler generally manages to escape, 
as it can remain a long time under water, and on rising to the surface 
is ready to descend again almost instantly. Though a northern 
bird, it is subjected to no privations by the freezing of lakes and 
