430 HISTORY or 



his quantity, without ever attempting to disturb 

 the rest of the fowls on the pool, he slowly moves 

 off again ; and in this manner pays the flock 

 three or four visits in a day. Of all the various 

 artifices for catching fowl, this seems likely to be 

 attended with the greatest success, as it is the 

 most practised in China. 



[The Eider Duck is double the size of the com- 

 mon duck. It has a cylindrical bill, and the wax 

 is divided behind, and wrinkled. The feathers, 

 which are very soft and valuable, fall off during 

 incubation. The male is white above, but black 

 below and behind ; the female is greenish. This 

 species is found in the Western Isles of Scotland, 

 particularly on Oransa, Barra, Rona, and Heisker, 

 and on the Farn Isles ; but in greater numbers in 

 Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, from whence 

 a vast quantity of the down known by the name 

 of eider or edder, which these birds furnish, is 

 annually imported. Its remarkably light, elastic, 

 and warm qualities, make it highly esteemed as a 

 stuffing for coverlets, by such whom age or infir- 

 mities render unable to support the w r eight of 

 common blankets. This down, as was noticed 

 above, is produced from the breast of the birds 

 in the breeding season. 



These birds are not numerous on the isles ; 

 and it is observed that the drakes keep on those 

 most remote from the sitting places. The ducks 

 continue on their nests till you come almost close 

 to them, and when they rise are very slow fliers. 

 The number of eggs in each nest are from three 



