72 Bird-Life in Labrador 



EIDER DUCK 



Somateria mollissima dresseri. — (Sharpe) Coues. 



In my recent work I have had considerable to say regard- 

 ing this and the succeeding species of sea ducks. They have 

 so many habits in common that it did not seem out of place 

 to concentrate my sea duck shooting experience upon this 

 species, and the hunter will be able to judge for himself if I 

 have unwisely allowed an injustice to this or any succeeding 

 spscies by so doing. ISIy notes start with the species in early 

 Spring, after having been hived up for six dreary Winter 

 months three miles in the interior, or at the head of a bay 

 protruding nearly that far inland. My first Spring ducking 

 was on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 12, when several of us 

 drew one of our small, flat boats over the ice to the (dear 

 water beyond and, launching it, started for the gunning point. 

 We brought home a good bag full of birds that night, and you 

 may be sure that they were well served and well disposed of 

 the next day. In describing, in general, the arrival of the 

 Spring birds, my notes say : Soon the ducks began to fly and 

 then such sport as we had. The king eider came first in the 

 season, then the common eider; the former is called the jiass- 

 ing, the latter the laying du<^k. The birds at first fly in large 

 flocks, often th.ousands in a flock ; and generally the diflerent 

 species do not mingle. They have a certain course which they 

 pursue ; and the shoales over which they fly are called ^' gun- 

 ning points." Here the men and boys congregate and, lying 

 low, behind some rock or cake of ice, await the figiit. Some 

 days the birds fly thickly, others rarely any ])ass ; the weather 

 and various causes aflect the flight. The j)e()j)le see them at 

 a great distance, and often hear the beating of their wings be- 

 fore they see them. The birds fly over or along the side of 

 the station, and the minute the head of the flock has passed 

 the first or iiead gunner he rises or turns and fires when all 

 the others follow suit, then the slauarhtcr betrins. Often 



