( 98 ) 
I'he Great Black and White Duck. 
T his Bird is one of the largefl: of the "Dvick Kind ; the Bill is reprefented of its natural 
Bignefs in the louver Part of the Print. I take it to be the Eiderov foft- feather'd Duck of 
^orniints^ and the St. Guthbert Duck of the Pam Idands, both collected by Willoughby^ and in- 
-ferted in his_ Ornithology, P,. 
The Male Bird^ reprelehted d:anding, hath the Bill not lb much compreffed as is common 
in Duchy it is of a blackilh Colour, and indented ‘on the Edges of both upper and lower Mandi- 
bles where they meet, except at the Point *, the Tip of the upper Mandible overhangs the lower 
a little 5 the Bafis of the Bill enters the Forehead on each Side with two remarkable fharp An- 
gles, and the Feathers on each Side of the Head extend themielves in acute Angles into the Bill 
juft beneath the Noftrils, as the Figures more fully exprefs : There paftes from the Forehead to 
the hind Part of the llead two broad Bars of Black, in which Spaces the Eyes are placed j 
there is a white Space on the Top of the Head, dividing the black Marks, almoft to the Bill 
the Remainder of the Head, all the Neck, Back, and lefter covert Feathers of the Wings, are 
White. On the hind Part of the Neck, juft below the Ends of the black Marks, the Fea- 
thers are of a light Greemcolour, fofrened into the White, and appear more like an accidental 
Stain, than any natural Mark ; and I ftiould have taken it forfuch, had not different Subjeds 
confirmed it natural : All the Quills are Black or Dusky, except three or four of the innermoft 
next the Back, which are Whiter die firft Row of covert Feathers next above the Quills are al- 
fo Dufky ; the inner Coverts of the Wings are WHfite j the Tail is of a dirty Black-colour ; 
the Belly, Sides under the Wings, and covert Feathers both above and beneath the Tail, are 
of a deep Black-colour ; on the Breaft the Black and White do not break of fuddenly, but are 
intermixed a little into each other: The Legs and Feet are of a very dirty Brown or Blackifb 
Colour, having four Toes ftanding after the ufual Manner, and webb*d as in the common Duck j 
the two inner and the two hind Toes have lateral Fins or Webs, as is common to this Genus ; 
the Claws are Black. 
The Female, reprefented by the diftant Flying Bird in this Plate, in Shape, Size, Colour 
of the Bill, and Feet, agrees exadly with the Malej but the Plumage is quite different, it being 
all over of a Brown-colour, mixed v/ith tranfverfe Lines of Black, except the Tail and greater 
Wing Feathers, which were of a Dulky-colour. Thefe Birds hatch their Young on the Coaft 
of Norzviiy in the Month of June ; this I difcovered by buying of a Fiflierman in Norwc^ at the 
latter End of M(ty, 171S, a Hen of this Kind, which I gave to a Perfon to prepare for roaft- 
ing, who brought me out of her an Egg fully formed, larger than a Duck Egg, and of a green- 
er Colour than is common in tame DucPs Eggs. 
Thefe Birds were brought preferved dry from Greenlandy and are depofited at Sir Hans Sloane*^ 
at Chelfea. I believe they are found on all the Coafts and Iflands of the Northern Seas. I 
find this Bird mentioned in the Hiftory of the Iflands of Farro tranflated from the Danijh Lan- 
guage; which TraA being fcarce, I lliall tranfcribe therefrom what relates to this Bird, that its 
Hiftory may be more full. ‘‘ The Eider Cock is Brown as the Hen when he is young, but 
“ when he is old he groweth almoft White, and is called Eider-Blink : From this Fowl is ga- 
thered Eider Down, which the Eider plucks off from its Breaft, and layeth in its Neft about 
“ the Eggs, when it hatcheth them, and when they are come out, and are fled away with 
their Darn, this Down is taken up from the Neft, being then full of Mofs and Straw, of 
“ which it is cleanfed, and dried. The Down which is plucked off at other Times from the 
“ Eider is good for nothing, for it is fat, and rotteth.” 
As I find much wanting in former Delcriptions of thefe Birds to make them perfedl, and no 
Figures to enlighten them, I hope this Labour will not be flighted by the Inquifitive and Cu- 
rious. I take it to be a Sea Duck^ frequenting only Salt-Waters. Phe 
