20 TowNSEND, Conservation of the Eider. [jem. 



he done in a temporary kitchen as a fanciful bird had taken up 

 lier abode on the fireplace." 



When St. Cuthbert, that holy man, went to live a lonely life on 

 T'arne Island he tamed the Eiders and they are called St. Cuthbert's 

 "ducks even to this day. 



Eider-down is not only extremely light and elastic but is also 

 one of the poorest conductors of heat. It is therefore an ideal sub- 

 stance for preserving warmth and is the best material for coverlets, 

 puffs, cushions etc. Its money value is considerable and there is 

 always a demand for it in the markets of the world. ^ The retail 

 price in Boston at the present time of well cleaned Iceland or Nor- 

 wegian eider-down is $14 a pound. It is probable that each nest 

 furnishes — as a very conservative estimate — from an ounce to 

 an ounce and a third of down, therefore twelve to sixteen nests or 

 breeding females are needed for each pound. Burton states that 

 the annual supply of down in Iceland rose from 2,000 pounds in 

 1806 to 7,000 pounds in 1870. One can easily understand the great 

 value of this product even if the producer receives only one half of 

 the retail price. He could count on at least fifty cents a season for 

 each breeding female in his Eider-fold. 



Imagine the pleasure as well as profit that could be obtained 

 along the coast of Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and 

 Maine if these birds were treated in the manner above described and 

 flocked and nested about the habitations of man. Then, each 

 ■dweller in suitable localities by the sea, could have his own flock 

 of these beautiful birds, for the female is as beautiful in her modest 

 'dress of shaded and pencilled brown as is the male in his striking 

 raiment of jet black and cream- and snow-white, delicate sea-green 

 ;and dark navy-blue. The cooing notes, so long few or absent in 

 •many places, would again resound over the waters, and best of all, 

 ito the practical minded, the birds would pay well for their protec- 

 tion by gifts of eggs and of valuable eider-down. 



How can the present senseless habit of destruction be stopped 

 ;and this desirable state of affairs brought about? As a preliminary 

 step in Labrador and Newfoundland I would suggest that a few 

 islands scattered along the coast should be made bird reservations, 



1 The down obtained from dead Eiders, however, soon loses its elasticity and is 

 lOf little value. 



