258 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



flying away^ they begin to dive : the moment they come 

 to the surface^ they are again pursued ; and after three 

 or four of these chases, the birds begin to be so tired that 

 they are easily taken and killed. 



Mr. Hutchins says that the king eider 'is plentiful 

 at Churchill River, Hudson's Bay, in 59° N. latitude, 

 where it remains as long as the water is unfrozen ; but 

 that at York Fort it is scarce. It builds at the sides of 

 fresh waters ; the nest being made of sticks and moss^ 

 and lined with feathers, like that of the common eider : 

 the eggs are yellowish white, and as large as those of a 

 goose : the young fly in July ; and the food is generally 

 worms and grass.^ The same gentleman mentions, that 

 it is called by the Hudson's Bay Indians Mis-se-sheep. 



Pennant asserts that it is sometimes found in Orkney ; 

 but the only instance, in modern times, of its having 

 been met with there, rests on the fact of Mr. Bullock 

 having found a single nest of it in Papa Westra Island, 

 built on a rock impending over the sea. 



Captain Sabine observes they are very numerous on the 

 coast of Greenland, in company with the common eider ; 

 but they were too shy to approach the ships, so that he 

 only procured a single specimen. 



It is not the brilliancy or the variety, but the rich 

 and harmonious combination, of its colours, which 

 makes the title of " King " so peculiarly applicable to 

 this noble bird. The size is nearly that of the other 

 species. At the base of the bill, in the male, is a high 

 protuberance, considerably compressed on the sides, 

 but flat at the top, where it is covered with velvet- 

 black feathers, which pass on each side to the eye : 

 the crown of the head and nape are of a delicately beau- 

 tiful grey : at the base of the upper mandible the fea- 

 thers are pea-green, passing backwards on each side of 

 the neck, and taking in half the eye ; beneath which, and 



* We cannot reconcile this account with what Dr. Richardson says of his 

 thinking this bird is never seen in fresh water, and that its food mostly 

 consists of the soft moUusca so abundant in the Arctic Sea. If it really 

 feeds also on " worms and grass," there would be no difficulty in keeping it 

 alive in our inclosed ponds, if our summer did not prove too hot for its 

 constitution. 



