I9I5 



PATrF,N, -Etde? -Ducks at InishimJuilL 



79 



EIDER-DUCKS AT INISHTRAHULL. 

 With Remarks on the vStatus of this Bird in Ireland, 

 by professor c. j. patten, m.a., m.d., sc.d. 



On Monday, September 8th, 1913, I observed two large 

 ducks on the sea, about two hundred yards off the east 

 lieadland of Inishtrahull, Co. Donegal. With the aid of 

 l)inoculars, I diagnosed them as Eider-Ducks {Soniatcria 

 mollissima), in female or immature plumage. ^- As they 

 swam in close to the island their identity with the naked 

 eye became an easy matter. They were not by any means 

 shy ; however, if suspicious of danger they made out to sea 

 at rather an accelerated speed, not attempting to elude 

 obser\'ation by diving. They did not proceed far out, 

 but showed a decided inchnation to turn about and come 

 in among the reefs in search of food. By sitting down on 

 the cliff and keeping quiet they afforded me an opportunity 

 of viewing them at close quarters ; sometimes they drew 

 in too close and disappeared under the shadow of the cliff. 

 In their indifference to man's presence they reminded me 

 more of domestic than of wild birds. At length they made 

 off, steering along the southern aspect of the island, until 

 in the distance they were lost to view. In the evening 

 they were seen in a little creek called Portahurry on the 

 west side. Here they remained quietly feeding among 

 the seaweed-covered recks, until a boat, arriving from 

 Tory, frightened them off, and they were not noticed 

 again this day. However, two Eider-Ducks, in female or 

 immature dress, also tame in their habits, and presum- 

 ably the same two birds, frequented the island for several 

 da\^s after. They were generally seen feeding among the rocks 



1 At that distance it was not possible to distinguish them from female 

 or immature King-Eiders {Somateria spectabilis), the plumage markings 

 of the two species being somewhat similar, and in both cases sombre - 

 shaded. To differentiate, it is necessary to examine the species by hand, 

 when it can be seen that the central tracts of feathers of the upper segment 

 of the beak hardly reaches half-way to the nostrils in the Common Eider, 

 whereas in the King-Eider these feathers reach as far as a line with the 

 nostrils. Fortunately, as the text of this paper states, I received the 

 head of a duck later on, which I identified as that of a Common Eider, 

 and probably belonging to one of the two seen this day, 



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