224 EIDER DUCK. 



Its food consists of mussels, and other shelled niollusca, Crustacea, marine insects, and 

 small fish. 



The nest, placed on the ground near the sea, is composed of dried sea-weed, and is 

 lined with the warm down taken from the breast of the female, who adds to its quantity 

 daily as the eggs are deposited, so that the eggs are entirely hidden under it. 



The eggs are five in number, of a pale olive colour, smooth and shining, and measure 

 three inches in length, by two inches and one line in breadth. 



Incubation is completed in a month. 



The Eider Duck is sociable in its habits, and the nests are frequently so closely placed 

 together on the ground, that it requires care in walking not to injure them by treading 

 upon them. 



During incubation they are extremely tame, and the female will often suffer herself to 

 be touched and handled without making off; the Drake, however, is said to show much 

 alarm on these occasions, and will interpose himself between the aggressor and his fair 

 partner, endeavouring to scare him from the nest by raising his head and making the 

 most formidable noise he is acquainted with, which, however, is only a kind of cooing 

 note. 



In the adult male the bill, which is dusky green, is swollen and elevated at the base, 

 and running high up in the forehead, has a band of feathers down the centre, nearly 

 as far as the nostril; the nail is white; irides, brown. Upper part of head, velvet 

 black, divided at the sides of the occiput by a greenish white band; cheeks, white; back 

 of head and sides of neck, pale green. Neck, back, scapulars, lesser wing coverts, 

 tertials, which fall handsomely over the wings, shoulder, and sides of rump, pure white; 

 greater wing coverts, black; primaries, secondaries, and tail, brownish black. Upper 

 neck in front, white ; lower neck, creamy yellow ; breast and under surface, black. Legs 

 and feet, dusky greenish yellow. 



The female is of a yellowish brown, with darker markings; primaries and tail, dusky 

 black. 



The weight is from six to seven pounds. 



The male measures in length about twenty-seven inches. 



