256 



ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



allowed to hatch, though a part of the down is removed 

 from time to time; the female continuing to supply it as 

 long as any remains upon the lower part of her body. 



The flight of the eider is excessively swift and 

 strong ; for major Cartwright found it, by repeated 

 experiments, to be at the rate of ninety miles an hour, * 

 When approached in a boat, they generally take wing 

 while beyond gunshot ; and when suddenly surprised, 

 they dive : if patiently and perseveringly pursued, 

 however, and compelled to dive repeatedly, they become 

 fatigued, and the sportsman has then a chance of shoot- 

 ing them; but the flesh is very unpalatable. 



The size of the eider is nearly double that of the 

 common duck. The upper part of the head is deep 

 velvet- black, divided laterally on the hind head by a 

 whitish band : the cheeks are white; but the sides of the 

 head are of a delicate pea-green, marked with a narrow 

 line of white passing from the ears ; the feathers being 

 lengthened, but the ends even, so as to appear cut off: 

 upper part of the neck, scapulars, lesser wing covers, and 

 sides of the rump pure white : lower part of the breast, 

 belly, and vent deep black : greater and lesser quiUs, 

 together with the tail, brownish black : the tertials are 

 narrow, and so much curved as to fall over the wing : 

 legs yellow. 



The female is thus described by Montagu: — '^'^Bill 

 dusky: nail horn- colour : irides yellowish: the whole 

 plumage of a dusky colour, mixed with ferruginous : 

 head and neck pale brown, more or less dashed with 

 ferruginous and dusky streaks: back, scapulars, and 

 smaller covers of the wings dusky black ; each feather 

 margined with ferruginous brown : quills dusky ; 

 palest on the inner webs and points of the secondaries, 

 but without any white band or bar on the wing, as 

 usually described : breast, and all the under parts, mixed 

 with pale ferruginous, and dusky in small specks and 

 streaks : tail short, uniform, and dusky brown : legs 

 and feet dusky black. 



* Montagu, Orn. Diet. Supp. 



