DU 



margined by black, almost surrounds die lower neck 

 as a sort of collar. These distinct arches of white, 

 with the convex sides upward, reach from the shoulder 

 to the breast, the one next the shoulder having a 

 black manna on the under side, and the remaining 

 two a similar margin, on the upper. These arches 

 form nearly a continuous band, and the portion of 

 the breast, which they enclose is of a bluish ash colour, 

 relieved by lighter margins to the feathers. The 

 remainder of the under part is brown, with a tinge of 

 red toward the flanks. The scapular feathers are 

 pretty long, pointed, distinctly separated from each 

 other, of a white colour iu the middle, but with black 

 margins. The wings and tail are dusky black, and 

 the wing-spot blue, with purple reflections. The bill 

 is dusky, the feet are bluish, and the irides, brown. 

 The female lias a rusty tinge on the head and neck, 

 the upper part brownish, and the under part dull 

 white. The nesting-places are said to be in the 

 herbage on the marshy places of the Arctic shores, 

 and also near the pools of fresh water in the same 

 region, but never at any great distance from the sea. 

 If we take the whole race of ducks, in the order of 

 their latitudes from the equator to the pole, the 

 harlequin may be considered as the last, and it 

 certainly is one of the most beautiful. Its flesh is also 

 ed as being excellent. 



EIDERS (Somrrferia). On a strictly systematic 

 arrangement of the duck family, it is not very easy to 

 dete- .'. ~ ''li norfect satisfaction what should be 

 the place of this highly interesting germs. Th%y are 

 much larger bints than any of the other ducks, being 

 as weighty as the average of the geese. They have 

 also some peculiarities in their structure, and more 

 perhaps in their manners. All the species, for we 

 lequainted with at least three of them, are 

 remarkable for the immense coating of down by 

 means of which they are protected from the cold ; 

 and thus, though they are gentle creatures, and to 

 appearance delicate, they arc perhaps more proof 

 airainst the severity of the northern winter than most 

 of the family. In the southern parts of England 

 they are unknown, but there a few which inhabit the 

 Fern islands on the coast of Northumberland ; and 

 there are some also on a few of the small islets in the 

 Firth of Forth. From there, northward, they are not 

 met with, because the shores are not suited to their 

 habits ,- but in the Orkneys, the Shetland Isles, and 

 some of the more remote places of the Hebrides, they 

 are found in greater numbers. Wherever they are 

 met with, they may be considered as resident birds 

 rather than as wanderers ; for, though they take long 

 flights when out of the breeding season, they are 

 understood to return to the same haunts. 



It is in the more dreary and inhospitable parts of 

 the north that those birds are found in the greatest 

 numbers, and where they may be said to be quite at 

 home. In Iceland, in the Fern islands, and in other 

 northerly places, they serve many important purposes, 

 and the inhabitants would find their comfort much 

 diminished if they were deprived of the eiders. Their 

 eggs and their flesh serve for food ; their skins form 

 under clothing, which is proof against very severe 

 cold , and, without very serious injury to the birds, 

 a vast quantity of the finest down is procured from 

 them every year. So firm and elastic is this down, 

 that the same quantity which can be compressed and 

 concealed between the two hands will serve to stuff 

 a quilt or coverlet, which, while it has hardly the 



C K. 345 



weight of a feather, has more warmth than the 

 finest blanket. We must, however, shortly notice the 

 species. 



COMMON EIDEII ( moltissima). This is the best 

 known species ; it is the one of which a few specimens 

 are found on the British shores, and also the one 

 which may be said to be domesticated by the northern 

 people, though its domestication costs them no ex- 

 pense, as the birds feed entirely on sea-weed, and 

 other products of that element. 



Eider Duck. 



The common eider has been known from very 

 remote antiquity, and its manners have been well 

 described by almost all who have written on the 

 natural history of the north. During the summer 

 months they are very abundant on all the isles in the 

 Greenland seas ; and they are also met. with floating 

 in pairs or solitary at great distances from the land, 

 but in these cases they are usually near the ice. In 

 spring they swim in flocks, and in fine weather one 

 of those flocks is a very beautiful sight. They ride 

 high in the water, their attitudes are elegant, and 

 their motion, though swift, is smooth and gliding, and 

 apparently performed with great ease. They can 

 also make excursions on the wing ; and, though they 

 are heavy birds, it has been estimated that they can 

 move along, when they are on their high flight, at 

 the rate of ninety miles an hour, without apparent 

 effort or fatigue. 



But it is perhaps when they are on their breeding 

 grounds that their manners are most interesting. 

 The nest is made on the ground, composed of marine 

 plants, and lined with down of exquisite fineness, 

 which the female plucks from her own body. The 

 eggs are usually four, of a pale olive green, and rather 

 lonirer than those of a common duck. About Iceland 

 the eider duck generally build their nests on small 

 islands not far from the* shore, and sometimes even 

 near the dwellings of the natives, who treat them 

 with so much attention and kindness as to render 

 them nearly tame. Two females will sometimes lay 

 their eggs in the same nest, in which case they 

 always agree remarkably well. As long as the 

 female is sitting, the male continues on the water near 

 the shore, but as soon as the young are hatched he 

 leaves them. The mother, however, remains with 

 them a considerable time longer ; and it is curious to 

 observe her attention in leading them out of the nest 

 almost as soon as they creep from the eggs. Having 

 conducted them to the water's edge, she takes them 



