74 



THE EIDER DUCK. 



(Reprinted from " The Field" Newspaper, Mai/ 27th, 1865.) 



A few weeks since an account of this bird appeared in THE FIELD. 

 A few weeks previously, in reference to a remark as to its rarity 

 in England, I mentioned its being common, both in summer and 

 winter, on the Northumberland coast. Your last correspondent 

 seems to say it is not so. Now there are some birds becoming 

 scarcer by reason of their peculiar grounds being altered, while 

 others are getting scarcer from being wantonly destroyed ; but 

 the Eider does not seem to me to suffer from either cause ; and I 

 do not think your correspondent gives Northumberland due credit 

 for the possession of this fine species. True it is, it is not very 

 frequently shot; but this is not on account of its rarity, but from 

 the difficulty in getting near it. The Eider does not heedlessly 

 fly, in the apparent security of evening, to certain destruction, 

 as the Mallard and many other Ducks do often. Neither does he 

 come into the shallow, smooth water, or sit upon mudbanks 

 where he can be approached with a punt, as the Sheldrake does ; 

 but he seldom even flies within shot of the shore, constantly 

 keeping the sea amongst the rocks, often in scattered flocks of a 

 dozen or more, where, in fine weather, he is unapproachable, and 

 even in rough weather it is rough and very uncertain work to get 

 him ; and as he feeds on dogcrabs, and his flesh looks very coarse, 

 I do not think he would be much relished as a delicacy. Possibly 

 the reason of its not being found further south is the absence of 

 bays, amongst rocks and rocky islands, where they might find 

 shelter from weather, security from their enemies, and food, 

 during the most violent storms. I hope and believe the year is 

 far distant when it will be a rare bird on our coast, particularly 

 as the islands on which they breed are preserved, and the rocky 

 nature of them renders it unlikely they ever can be made avail- 

 able for the requirements of man. Had these islands been of 

 sufficient extent, there is every reason to suppose the bird would 

 have been as abundant with us as it appears to be on the rocky 

 island-bound coasts of Northern Europe and Northern America. 



