638 



10 



one of this group. The Eider Duck seems to prefer the security of an island for its retreat 

 during the breeding-season ; I have, however, found several of their nests upon the Links (the 

 sandy banks which bound the sea-beach) when in search of the holes in which the Sheldrake 

 breeds. The Eider Duck was one of the commonest birds which we saw upon the Norwegian 

 seas ; we met with some of them upon many of the islands which we traversed, and might have 

 collected a considerable quantity of the down. On one island, which was strictly preserved, they 

 were in great numbers ; and hundreds of male birds, beautiful in their pure black and white 

 plumage, which were listlessly floating over a wide expanse of sea, added an indescribable 

 interest to this otherwise desert scene. An old man who had the care of this island, and seemed 

 to derive much pleasure from the charge, accompanied us all over his preserves, pointing out to 

 us the ducks as they sat around us, apparently heedless of our near approach, and on quite 

 familiar terms with our companion, who would even stroke them on the back, and was very 

 jealous lest we should fire our guns and thus scare his pets. The Eider Duck breeds in such 

 quantities in Iceland that their down is made an article of commerce. Sir William Hooker, in 

 his travels in that country, says, ' Their nests were generally among the old and half-decayed 

 sea-weed that the storms had cast high upon the beach, but sometimes only upon the bare rocks. 

 It was difficult to make these birds leave their nests ; and so little inclined were some of them to 

 do it, that they even permitted us to handle them whilst they were sitting, without their 

 appearing to be at all alarmed. Almost every little hollow place between the rocks is occupied 

 with the nests of these birds, which are so numerous that we were obliged to walk with the 

 greatest caution to avoid trampling upon them. But besides this, the Sliftsamptman has a 

 number of holes cut in the smooth and sloping side of the hill, in two rows ; and in every one of 

 these there is a nest.' The nest of this species is at first composed of dry grass only, the whole 

 or greater part of the eggs being laid before the down is added, which is increased during the 

 progress of incubation, and is rendered more firm and stable by having short bits of dry grass 

 interwoven with it. The lining of one nest, which I brought home with me, though easily com- 

 pressed within my hand, when warm and expanded filled my hat, and was one ounce and five 

 eighths in weight : the old bird, which I shot from it, did not appear to be more than half-divested 

 of its down. In Iceland, where they are robbed two or three times successively during the season, 

 Von Troile states that the quantity given by each Duck is half a pound — a large estimate when 

 compared with the quantity contained in the nest of that I have spoken of, which was taken at 

 the time the eggs were hard-sitten, and therefore contained the full quantity of down, or nearly 

 so. The eggs of this species are five in number ; but it is not an unusual thing to find ten in the 

 same nest, the produce of two birds, which sit very amicably together. When the bird is absent 

 the eggs are carefully covered over, no doubt for the double purpose of concealment and of 

 warmth. The same precaution, however, is adopted when the nest contains only two or three 

 eggs ; and before the down has been added or the birds have begun to sit, and there is conse- 

 quently no warmth to lose, they are carefully covered over with grass and leaves, gathered for the 

 purpose, and sometimes fresh and green." 



Mr. H. J. Elwes has kindly forwarded us the following note : — " I have usually seen the 

 male Eider Ducks in flocks apart from the females during the winter months, and again while 

 the latter are sitting. They prefer small outlying rocks and uninhabited islands for their 



