256 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The Eider-bird is yet more useful to the natives, who 

 consider it as a kind of treasure ; and it is seldom heard that 

 a prudent house-keeper shoots or kills any of them. 



The Eider-birds generally build their nests on little islands 

 not far from the shore, and sometimes even near the dwellings 

 of the natives, who treat them with so much kindness and 

 circumspection as to make them quite tame. In the beginning 

 of June they lay five or six eggs, and it is not unusual to find 

 from ten to sixteen eggs in one nest together, with two females, 

 who agree remarkably well together. The whole time of laying 

 continues six or seven weeks, and they are fond of laying three 

 times in different places; in the two first both the eggs and 

 down are taken away, but in the last place this is seldom done. 

 Those to whom one of these places belong visit it at least once 

 a week. 



When they come to the nest, they first carefully remove the 

 female, and then take away the superfluous down and eggs, after 

 which they replace the female on the remaining ones, when she 

 begins to lay afresh, and covers her eggs with new down which 

 she has plucked from herself : when she has no more down left, 

 the male comes to her assistance, and covers the eggs with his 

 down, which is white, and easily distinguished from the female's ; 

 where it is left till the young ones are hatched, who in an hour 

 afterwards quit the nest together with the mother, when it is 

 once more plundered. 



The best down and the most eggs are got during the first of 

 their laying ; and it has in general been observed that they lay 

 the greatest number of eggs in rainy weather. As long as the 

 female sits, the male is on the watch near the shore ; but as 

 soon as the young are hatched he leaves them. But the mother 

 remains with them a considerable time after ; and it is curious 

 to see how she leads them out of the nest as soon as they creep 

 out of the eggs, and goes before them to the shore, whilst they 

 trip after her : when she comes to the water side she takes them 

 on her back, and swims with them for the space of a few yards, 

 when she dives, and the young ones, who are left floating on the 

 water, are obhged to take care of themselves. [This mode of 

 carrying the young to the water is adopted by the Razorbill, 

 Guillemot, and other cliff-haunting birds, and it is remarkable 

 that the Eider Duck should pursue a similar plan, instead of 



