COMMON EIDER. 169 



or islands, and in its distribution is a northern bird. 

 According to Mr. Yarrell, it is occasionally found on 

 the southern coasts of England, and is sometimes 

 brought to the London markets during winter, but it 

 does not breed much farther south than the Feni 

 Islands in the mouth of the Firth of Forth. From 

 thence until within the range of the Bass Rock, it 

 breeds in comparative abundance, many nests being 

 always to be found on the smaller islands, and also 

 sometimes on the more rugged parts of the mainland 

 shores ; we once shot a female from the nest close 

 to the old castle of Tantallon. Farther northward 

 still, and among the distant islands, it is common. 

 On the continental coasts we have little intelligence, 

 but on all the shores of Northern Europe, where we 

 have seen that so many of our summer migrating 

 species breed, it is to be found in profusion, and 

 is even far from being shy. It is recorded by 

 Leemius " that it breeds near to the inhabited 

 houses ; it even suffers itself to be lifted from the 

 eggs and set down again, and sometimes a country- 

 man will carry the young in his hat from the nest 

 to the sea, the duck running by his side, and mourn- 

 ing gently from anxiety." * The Eider is also dis- 

 tributed around the shores of North America, and 

 has been noticed by most of the ornithologists of 

 that country. Audubon states that now it does not 

 range farther south than the vicinity of New York, 

 though formerly it must have had a rather more 

 extensive range. 



* Leemius de Lapponibus, 276, note. 



