ICELAND. 



83 



EIDER-DUCK. 



fine of thirty dollars ; and the secreting of 

 an egg, or the pocketing of a few downs, is 

 l)unished with all the rigor of the law. The 

 chief occupation of Mr. Stephenson, the aged 

 proprietor of Videy, who dwells alone on the 

 islet, is to examine through his telescope all 

 the boats that approach, so as to be sure that 

 there are no guns on board. During the 

 breeding season no one is allowed to land 

 without his special permission, and all noise, 

 shouting, or loud speaking is strictly prohib- 

 ited. But, in spite of these precautions, we 

 are informed by recent travellers that latterly the greater part of the ducks of 

 Videy have been tempted to leave their old quarters for the neighboring Engey, 

 Avhose proprietor hit upon the plan of laying hay upon the strand, so as to afford 

 them greater facilities for nest-building. The eider-down is easily collected, as the 

 birds are quite tame. The female having laid five or six j^ale greenish-olive eggs, 

 in a nest thickly lined with her beautiful down, the collectors, after carefully re- 

 moving the bird, rob the nest of its contents, after which they replace her. She 

 then begins to lay afresh, though this time only three or four eggs, and agam 

 has recourse to the doAvn on her body. But her greedy persecutors once more 

 rifle her nest, and obhge her to line it for the third time. Now, however, her 

 own stock of down is exhausted, and with a plaintive voice she calls her mate to 

 her assistance, who willingly plucks the soft feathers from his breast to supply 

 the deficiency. If the cruel robbery be again repeated, Avhich in former times 

 was frequently the case, the poor eider-duck abandons the spot, never to return, 

 and seeks for a new home where she may indulge her maternal instinct undis- 

 turbed. 



Mr. Shepherd thus describes his visit to Vigr, in the Isafjardardjup, one of 

 the head-quarters of the eider-duck in the north of Iceland : " As the island 

 was approached, we could see flocks upon flocks of the sacred birds, and could 

 hear their cooings at a great distance. We landed on a rocky wave-worn shore, 

 against which the waters scarcely rippled, and set off to investigate the island. 

 The shore was the most wonderful ornithological sight conceivable. The ducks 

 and their nests were everywhere in a manner that was quite alarming. Great 

 brown ducks sat upon their nests in masses, and at every step started up from 

 under our feet. It was Avith difiiculty that we avoided treading on some of 

 the nests. The island being but three-quarters of a mile in width, the oppo- 

 site shore was soon reached. On the coast was a wall built of large stones, 

 just above the high-water level, about three feet in height, and of considerable 

 thickness. At the bottom, on both sides of it, alternate stones had been left 

 out, so as to form a series of square compartments for the ducks to make their 

 nests in. Almost every compartment was occupied ; and, as we walked along 

 the shore, a long line of ducks flew out one after another. The surface of the 

 water also was perfectly Avhite with drakes, who welcomed their brown wives 

 with loud and clamorous cooin<r. When we arrived at the farmhouse we were 



