Eider-Duck 
17 
certainly added to the speed of the bird under water. When actually forced to come to 
the surface for air, the Eider when pursued only reveals on the surface the edge of the bill 
and nostrils, and then only for a second. In consequence it is very difficult to see a 
wounded Eider if there is the slightest ripple on the surface of the sea. In his paper on 
the Eider, Mr. E. Schioler narrates the extraordinary diving skill of a female Eider, with 
only one leg, which he shot in Denmark. He says : 
"Though a cripple it swam and dived astonishingly well, and it was only after many exertions 
the bird came within gunshot. The weather was calm that day, the Fjord was smooth as a mirror, every 
little object on the surface of the water could be seen from a long distance, which rendered it possible 
to observe the wonderful art of swimming of this bird. When the boat came too near it disappeared 
like lightning below the surface, only appearing a long way off, without being able to tell beforehand 
in which direction it had been swimming, and all that appeared was just an insignificant part of the head 
and beak ; if the bird had been out of its reckoning and discovered that it got too near the boat, it was 
seen swimming with just as litde of the beak above the surface of the water as the tiny wake on the 
bright plane betrayed. At intervals it had to have the whole of the head and neck above the water 
when it lay and rested. At last we succeeded in shooting it at long range. 
" I mention this in order to give an idea of the amazing diving capacity of these birds — one must 
not forget that this individual was previously wounded and crippled, and I have no doubt that the story 
of the wounded duck seizing with its teeth the algae at the bottom of the lake (sea) and dying among 
these is based on similar experiences ; one may shoot an Eider-duck flying past and see it fall down 
and dive, and never see it again. The fact is that, when these birds come up to breathe, knowing 
to be in danger, so little of them is visible that they are quite hidden if the water is only slightly stirred — 
in more calm weather they know how to cover themselves by ripples here and there on the surface. 
I have seen still more astounding feats of diving being performed by old male birds, also in calm 
weather ; several times I have succeeded in seeing them swimming deep down in the dark bright 
water; the white back was visible, but the position and the movements were not seen until these 
birds came nearer to the surface. The neck was slightly curved and inclined backwards, the wings 
were half opened, and the feet working alternately. I cannot say whether they fly under water, using 
the wings in moving forward ; in these cases a faint movement of the wings could be seen, but of course 
the birds were being pursued. The wings were not outstretched, only lifted away from the body, and the 
tips were pointed behind, but it is certain that the bones of the arm did not appear much influenced, 
not being modified by the resistance of the water as is the case with the bones of the auk, these having 
grown quite flattened." 
Personally, I have the gravest doubts of the truth of the statement made by many 
writers, that the Eider and other sea-ducks " hold on " to the sea- weed at the bottom of the 
ocean rather than allow themselves to come to the surface and be shot. One morning in 
February 1866, I pursued an old male Eider which I had winged from a flock into some 
shallows off the island of Reisa Little, in the Orkneys. The white back of the bird could 
be plainly seen under water entering some dark weeds amongst small rocks near the shore. 
Presently it disappeared in the tangle, and as the bird did not again come to the surface, I 
leaned over the side of the boat and made search for it. I had seen it enter a comparatively 
small area of dark ground round which there were sand spaces, so I concluded it must be 
hidden amongst the fronds, and after a short search I saw the white back gleaming beside 
a small rock, the head and neck being concealed under the sea-weed. It occurred to me 
that it would be interesting to see whether the bird would voluntarily leave this position or 
not, so after waiting for a quarter of an hour, during which it did not move, I gave it a 
lift with my long seal-gaff, when it at once floated to the surface quite dead. The mouth 
was half open ; some thin weeds encircled the neck. Doubtless this bird allowed itself 
VOL. II c 
