CONSERVATION OF THE EmER 



of their furs, the result of their winter's work, 

 cruise along the coast in sailboat and canoe and 

 feast on the eider eggs and flesh. 



In 1909 Mr. A. C. Bent and I found the 

 ground about the Indians' encampments cov- 

 ered with eider egg shells, and we saw eider 

 flesh being dried and smoked by the fires. Two 

 men, who were ranging over the islands with 

 pails, had collected a hundred eggs in less than 

 an hour's time. William Brewster described the 

 method used by these Indians in 1881 : "They 

 skirt the shores in canoes, keeping as close 

 to land as the depth of water will permit. 

 Meanwhile their dogs scent about among the 

 trees quartering the ground like trained setters, 

 and when a nest is discovered announce the 

 fact by loud barking. The nests are usually 

 within a few rods of the water, and the scent 

 of the dogs is so keen that they rarely pass one. 

 If the sitting bird can be caught or shot the 

 opportunity is seldom neglected, for the half- 

 starved Indian neither knows nor respects con- 

 siderations of mercy, or, perhaps we should 

 call it policy, — which restrain more enlight- 

 ened sportsmen on such occasions. Proceeding 

 thus two men in a canoe will frequently ran- 

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