IDENTIFICATION OF DUCKS' EGGS. 39 



on June 19th, 1897. The down is white, as are also the 

 feathers, and should the nest be discovered in Great 

 Britain it could not be mistaken for that of any European 

 duck, with the exception of Barrow's Golden-eye C. 

 islandica, which breeds in Iceland and Greenland, and 

 has not yet been recorded as visiting this country 

 (Plate II., Fig. 14). 



Long-tailed Duck (Harelda glacialis). — This is another 

 species which has never been known to nest in this country, 

 though it may have done so. The eggs are green, rather 

 smaller than those of the Pintail, and more pointed. 

 The down is dense, small, and " Eider-like " in texture, 

 quite unlike that of D. acuta, which is the only duck with 

 which it could be confused. It will also be seen that the 

 feathers are very unlike (Plate II., Figs. 12, 12). 



Eider Duck (Somateria mollissima). — These eggs 

 could not be mistaken for those of any other British duck. 

 Always green, but varying in shade, there is an 

 " Eiderish " look about them which would prevent the 

 possibility of error. Howard Saunders gives the number 

 of eggs as from five to eight, but the latter number must 

 be very rare, at least in our islands. I have examined 

 numerous nests in' Scotland, the Fame Islands, and 

 Orkney, and only once noticed six eggs, far more often 

 the female was sitting on four than five. The well-known 

 down needs no description, but it may be mentioned here 

 that the downs of the three " British " Eiders are very 

 distinct. That of the Common Eider is light ; of the 

 King-Eider darker ; and of SteUer's Eider darker still. 

 The eggs also graduate in size, those of the Common 

 Eider being the largest, the King-Eider smaller, and 

 SteUer's Eider smallest (Plate II., Figs. 13, 13). 



Common Scoter (CEdemia nigra). — This bird breeds 

 quite commonly in Caithness and Sutherland, more rarely 

 in Ross and Cromarty, and probably Inverness. It is, 

 however, very local in distribution. It has nested in 

 Ireland, and Mr. Ussher kindly sent me an egg, down, 

 and young-in-down, for identification. The nests are 



