THE EIDER-DUCK. 
195 
he did not see her ; hut, when, on turning his head 
accidentally, he caught a glimpse of his well-known 
companion, he rushed towards her with an earnest- 
ness and affection which quite touched those who 
witnessed the meeting. Nothing from that moment 
would induce him to quit her, and he manifested 
his joy at the unexpected reunion, by twining his 
neck on hers, — nestling it under her wing, and 
gazing at her with eyes expressive of extreme 
delight and satisfaction. 
There is another Wild-Duck, deserving of men- 
tion from the value of the down upon its breast, 
which is carefully collected by those who rear 
these birds, and dispose of their produce at a very 
high price. The bird we speak of is the Eider- 
Duck. And well may it have a warmer under- 
clothing than most other Ducks, — born and bred, 
as it is, amidst the most dreary and desolate re- 
gion of the Frozen Seas, and abiding either soli- 
tary, or in pairs near the ice, as far as possible 
from land, but assembling, at the breeding-season, 
in vast numbers, on most of the islands in the 
north. As Iceland is one of their favourite haunts, 
we cannot do better than collect our particulars 
from a spot where they are probably better known 
than anywhere else. There, as they are rarely 
hurt or disturbed, they become surprisingly tame, 
and allow persons to walk amongst their nests. 
On approaching them, the Drakes, indeed, often 
take alarm, and plunge with great precipitancy 
into the water ; but the Ducks generally remain 
sitting on their nests, or merely fly to the dis- 
tance of a yard or two, and on an attempt to 
