CUTHBERT EIDER. 227 



they always agree remarkably well. As long as the 

 female is sitting, the male continues on watch near 

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

 leaves them ; the mother, however, remains with them 

 a considerable time afterwards, and is said to assist 

 them out of the nest, almost as soon as they creep 

 from the eggs, and proceeding to the shore, they 

 crawl after her ; and when she arrives to the water's 

 edge she takes them on her back, and swims a few 

 yards with them; when she dives, and the young are 

 left floating on the surface, and are obliged to take 

 care of themselves. 



As before noticed, the down with which these 

 birds line their nests is greatly prized, and various 

 modes are adopted to secure the treasure : this sub- 

 stance (called Eider or Edder donn*) they pluck from 

 their breasts in the breeding season. When the col- 

 lectors come to the nest, they carefully remove the 

 female, and take away the superfluous down and 

 eggs, and after this they replace her. She then begins 

 to lay afresh, and covers her eggs with new down, in 

 which she is assisted by the male, in the event of her 

 own stock being exhausted, which is not unfrequently 

 the case ; and even this is frequently taken away, 

 when the birds proceed to furnish a fresh supply, both 

 of eggs and down ; but if the cruel robbery be re- 

 peated again, they immediately abandon the place. 

 The best down and most eggs are obtained during 

 the three first weeks of their laying ; and it has 

 generally been observed, that the birds lay the greatest 

 number of eggs in rainy weather. One female, during 

 the time of laying, generally yields half a pound of 



