Q4A 
DESscrir- 
TION. 
EIDER DUCK. Crass I. 
the shore, and prepares a soft bed for them, by 
plucking the down from its own breast; the na- 
tives watch the opportunity, and take away both 
eggs and nest: the duck lays again, and repeats 
the plucking of its breast ; if she is robbed after 
that, she will still lay, but the drakes must sup- 
ply the down, as her stock is now exhausted ; if 
her eggs are taken a third time, she bhai © de- 
serts the place. 
When I visited the Farn isles,* I found the. 
ducks sitting, and took some of the nests, the 
base of which was formed of sea plants, and 
covered with the down. After separating it 
carefully from the plants, it weighed only three 
quarters of an ounce, yet was so elastic as to 
fill a larger space than the crown of the greatest 
hat. These birds are not numerous on the 
isles ; and it was observed that the drakes kept 
on those most remote from the sitting places. 
The ducks continue on their nests till you come 
almost close to them, and when they rise are 
very slow fliers. ‘The number of eggs in each 
nest were from three to five, warmly bedded in 
the down, of a pale olive color, and very large, 
glossy and smooth. 
This kind is double the size of the common 
duck: its bill is black; the feathers of the fore- 
* July 15th. 1769. 
