ITS FLESH NOT UNPALATABLE. 353 



body, is reported to be very superior to that from the 

 dead bird. If taken from the latter, it should be in the 

 winter or early spring, for in the summer and autumn, 

 when the Eider moults, the down becomes so mixed 

 up with blood-feathers as to be of little worth. It is 

 stated by English naturalists, I observe, that each Eider's 

 nest produces half a pound of down ! If several birds be 

 contributors to the same nest, this, by possibility, is the 

 case, but individually it can hardly be, for the utmost 

 quantity we could ever obtain from any one bird in full 

 plumage little exceeded half an ounce. 



Though Scandinavia sends some little eider-down to 

 market, yet Iceland and Greenland, according to Kjserbol- 

 ling, contribute very much more. " Every nest," he says, 

 " contains about the sixth of a pound of down ; and sup- 

 posing that from each of these countries alone about 6,000 

 pounds are annually exported, it will be seen that this 

 is taken from 72,000 nests. As at least three-fourths of 

 the quantity comes from Greenland, and as the Green- 

 landers seldom allow the eggs to remain in the nest, even 

 when half-hatched, and kill the Eider at all seasons 

 and under all circumstances, it is inexplicable that the 

 decrease in the number of these birds is not very consi- 

 derably greater than it is." 



In Sweden and Norway the flesh of the Eider is looked 

 on as coarse, fishy, and nearly uneatable. All the birds 

 killed by us, nevertheless, went into the " pot," and were 

 far from unpalatable to poor people like ourselves at 

 least, who had not always the opportunity of enjoying a 

 good dinner. 



2 A 



