THE EIDER DUCK. 347 



with her brood in the bays and fiords of the more 

 northern parts of the Norwegian coast. Subsequently, 

 the several families flock, and take their flight gradually 

 to the southward. In September and October they 

 visited our " Skargard." 



When in salt-water, the Hareld feeds on marine in- 

 sects, bivalve molhisks, and crustaceans ; and whilst in 

 the interior, during the breeding season, chiefly on aquatic 

 plants. It would appear, however, to eat the latter from 

 necessity rather than choice, for on its return to the 

 sea in the autumn, it is usually in very poor condition. 

 The feathers of the Hareld are much prized, and its 

 down held next in estimation to that of the eider. The 

 flesh, though somewhat fishy, may, by good management, 

 be rendered palatable. The better plan is to skin the bird 

 and scrape away the fat, then soak the body in water, or 

 if in milk all the better, for a day or more, and afterwards 

 pitch cock and roast it. 



The Eider Duck (Ejdcr-Gas, i.e. eider-goose, Sw. ; 

 Estegg, Norw. ; Edcr-And, or eider-duck, Dan. ; Soma- 

 teria mollissima, Leach) is very common in the Baltic and 

 on all the western coasts of Scandinavia, from Scania to 

 the North Cape ; but more especially on certain islands 

 called Fugel-Vass, or bird preserves, on the north-west 

 coast of Norway, where it is protected which until the 

 past year or two has not been the case elsewhere in the 

 Peninsula and where the eggs and down are only taken 

 in very moderate quantities. 



Ekstrom seems to think there are two kinds of Eider 

 namely, the Common, and the so-called Smal-nabbad, or 

 narrow-billed Eider spoken of by Brebm ; and he is led to 

 this conclusion from what Eabricius says of the habits of 

 the Eider found on the coasts of Iceland, which would 

 appear to differ materially from those of that bird fre- 

 quenting the eastern " Skargard " of Sweden. 



