perfectly tame, though at other times the Eider is 

 exceedingly wary. 



I find it stated in ' Yarrell ' that in Iceland each nest 

 produces an average of one sixth of a pound of down, 

 which is worth from twelve to fifteen shillings per pound 

 on the spot, and about 1^ lb. is required to make a single 

 coverlet. The usual complement of eggs is five, and in 

 Iceland these eggs are mostly taken and pickled for 

 winter consumption, only a few being left to hatch. I 

 need hardly say that the Eider is essentially a sea-duck, 

 and feeds almost exclusively upon marine mollusca. 

 In captivity this species has often bred and the young 

 birds reared upon a diet of worms, shrimps, and meat ; 

 but in the only instance in which I received a pair of 

 these birds alive, they were sent to me straight from the 

 islet upon which they were hatched, and having become 

 accustomed to their natural food, they declined every- 

 thing that we offered to them, and consequently pined 

 to death. 



