THE GROUP OF EIDER DUCKS 193 



ducks, called eiders (i'ders). The representative species are 

 distinguished by their flat foreheads and wedge-shaped heads; 

 by a long, wedge-shaped point of the cheek-feathers which 

 extends forward and divides the base of the upper mandible; 

 and by the possession of more or less bright-green color on 

 the head. 



On land the Eiders are heavy and clumsy birds, but on 

 the sea they are at home, and dive with great ability. The 

 females line their nests very liberally with down from their 

 own breasts, and this when gathered and utilized becomes 

 the well-known "eider-down" of commerce. Unfortunately, 

 the natives of arctic America are unable to make use of eider- 

 down, save on the skin, and this leads to the slaughter of 

 great numbers of the birds. 



Eiders nest on the tops of rocky islets, using sea-weed or 

 grass for a foundation, and covering this with down plucked 

 from their own breasts. So abundantly is the nest lined 

 that by the time the eggs are all deposited they are fairly 

 embedded in the softest of beds. In Iceland the eider 

 ducks are half domesticated. The inhabitants collect the 

 down from the nests for sale, and therefore they are much 

 interested in preserving the birds. Nesting-places are made 

 for the birds by building thick stone walls with spacious 

 crevices along each side, at the base, or by scooping out shal- 

 low cavities in the hard earth. The Eiders permit their human 

 friends to go among them, and even to handle their eggs. 



On the Atlantic coast, from Labrador to Delaware, in 

 winter we have the American Eider,' which appears to be the 



1 So-ma-te'ri-a dres'ser-i. Length, about 23 inches. 



