The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 
birds I had succeeded in bringing back alive to 
the London Zoological Gardens. Here they lived 
for some months, the ivory gulls eventually 
dying from being, I fancy, so well fed. There 
were small fish for them galore ; result, too much 
fat! No exercise! Death! 
Whilst at Danes Ghat I collected quite a large 
sack of eider-down. These ducks are numerous 
on the small islands in this vicinity. The down 
is plucked by the ducks from their breasts and 
is used to line their nests with, which consist 
but of hollows scooped out of the ground. In 
Norway these birds are protected by law, the 
down only being collected. The eggs are only 
moderately good to eat, being somewhat strong 
and fishy. The down is more often than not 
mixed up with seaweed and other foreign sub- 
stances. The Norwegians separate it by tossing 
between sticks, the heavier particles falling — 
to the ground. I tried this method, but — 
found it exceedingly tedious. Unfortunately 
some thief took a fancy to my sack of down 
on my way through Norway and stole the 
lot. 
I had, whilst at Danes Ghat, one shot at a 
walrus—he was asleep on a small ice hummock. 
I hit him in the head with a bullet from my 
Paradox, which must have killed him instantly, 
for he fell over into the sea and sank. The 
water was much discoloured with blood, but was 
170 
