THE EIDER DUCK. 483. 



and islets along the coast for several — sometimes five or six — 

 miles out, and along the mainland and inward for a mile. 

 Thus their nidification becomes a striking characteristic of this 

 great ornithological breeding-ground. The nests are placed 

 about clumps of grass, in fissures of the rocks, under the 

 low spreading branches of the stunted firs, and along shelv- 

 ings of the shore not far from the water's edge. Often 

 they are so numerous as almost to crowd upon each other, 

 six or eight being found under a single bush, or arranged 

 in lines along the grassy clefts of rock. Well sunken into 

 the ground, they are made of dried twigs, sea-weeds, and 

 mosses, so well placed and interwoven as to give the cavity 

 a neat and pretty appearance. As is the case with Ducks 

 generally, there is no down in the nest when the eggs are 

 first laid; but when they are deposited, 5-7, or perhaps as 

 high as 10, oval, smooth-shelled and pale clouded or mot- 

 tled olive-green, some 3.00X2.10, the female, now aban- 

 doned by her mate, b.egins to pluck the celebrated down 

 from her breast, and continues to do so as incubation pro- 

 ceeds, until the roots of the feathers of her under parts are 

 about entirely bare of this commodity. The nest, now con- 

 taining about a hat-full of loose down, which approximates 

 an ounce in weight, is elegantly lined, and may afford an 

 entire covering to the eggs in the absence of the bird; and 

 thus their warmth may be preserved for some time, while 

 the lone and forsaken female seeks recreation and food. 

 Now the dark reddish-brown birds, elegantly marked with 

 black and with two narrow white cross-bars on the wings, 

 may be seen standing on the rocks leisurely preening their 

 feathers, or floating on the waters in the vicinity. At the 

 same time the bright colored males may be seen in large 

 flocks, disporting themselves in entire freedom from care, 

 among the outer islands and sand-bars. The immature 



