Their Eggs and Nests. 227 



another section of the Duck family. Those hitherto 

 named all frequent the fresh waters, and chiefly aflect 

 those that are of no great extent or depth. These, 

 the first of which we have just named, frequent the 

 sea or, in a few instances, the deepest parts of large 

 freshwater lakes. The Eider Duck, well known to 

 most of us by name, to some of us by sight, breeds in 

 some marshes on the Fame Islands, and in many 

 of the islands on the coast of Scotland. The nests are 

 principally composed, on a foundation of sea-weed or 

 grass, of the beautiful light elastic down, commonly 

 known as Eider-down ; and if the first is plundered, 

 a second, and even a third are formed ; but the down 

 decreases in quality and quantity in each successive 

 instance. The first accumulation is so large and 

 springy as quite to conceal the eggs contained, which 

 are usually five in number, and are of a light-green 

 colour, about three inches long by two wide. The 

 lining of one nest, admitting of easy compression by 

 the hand, is described by Mr. Hewitson as capable, 

 when fully expanded, of filling a man's hat. 



;i5^ ' KING YlJmV.—{Somateria spectabilis) 



King Duck. — A much rarer bird than the last, in- 

 deed occurring only very casually, It has been known 

 to breed in one of the Orkney Islands, while Iceland, 

 Nova Zembla, Spitzbergen, and like localities, are the 

 great breeding haunts of the species. The nests are 

 made on the ground, and contain five eggs, very 

 closely resembling the Eider Duck's, except in size. 

 They are rather less, 



