THE EIDER DUCK 197 



for the grace and vivacity of his movements. Their flight is 

 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 

 ])laintive 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 tJie 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. 



The 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 



