■ II II I 



( 24 ) 



O R D. III. G E N. XL DUC K. 



SPE. I. FEMALE EIDER DUCK. 



PI. 245*. 



The female of this fpecies differs ftrikingly from the male. It is confider- 

 ably fmaller, as it weighs little more than three pounds. The bill is lead- 

 colour : the general colour of the plumage is a reddifh brown, with a tinge of 

 yellow -, the head, and upper part of the neck, marked with dufky ftreaks, 

 pointing downward j the reft of the body mottled with tranfverfe ftreaks of 

 black : the quill feathers, black ; the fecondaries, tipped with white : the legs, 

 dull green. 



This fpecies is a particular inhabitant of the weftern ifles of Scotland, where 

 it breeds in great numbers, forming the neft of foft materials, and lining it 

 with the very fine down, which it plucks from its body for the purpofe. The 

 eider down being of value, the inhabitants take away the neft with the eggs j 

 of which it lays at moft five or fix. The duck then makes another neft, 

 which alfo is taken from her. Thefe having exhaufted her ftock of down, the 

 male affifts her with his to form a third. If this be taken away too, they for- 

 fake the place. From the quantity of eider down annually imported into this 

 kingdom, we may juftly infer, that thefe birds are very plentiful in the north- 

 ern parts of Europe and America. The males do not attain their beautiful 

 plumage till the third year. For the egg fee PI. LIV. 





