Breeding of Somateria^cllFdssen dear *fofame. — -On June 
26, 1895, I found three nests with eggs of the American Eider on Spirit 
Ledge, a small island about five miles from Isle au Haut, Maine. The 
nests were placed on the ground in the midst of a clump of umbelliferous 
plants, which were growing near the center of the island, and contained 
two fresh eggs, and incubated sets of three and six eggs respectively. 
The two latter nests were found by flushing the females. Later in the 
day I found a fourth nest, containing four eggs, on Saddleback Ledge, 
about three miles distant from Spirit Ledge. This last nest was on the 
ground in plain sight, but the eggs were hidden by a thick covering of 
down. Incubation was advanced about four days. The eggs are a green- 
ish drab color and measure 3.05 X 2.10, 3.17 X 2.05, 3.06 X 2.05, and 3.16 X 
2.05 inches. 
The captain of the boat which conveyed me to the islands informed me 
that the fishermen considered the eggs a great delicacy, and collected 
them for cooking purposes. He also informed me that the ‘ Sea Ducks,’ 
as he called them, used to nest in much greater numbers near Isle au 
Haut, but that the constant persecutions of the fishermen had lately 
caused the birds to nest on the ledges in greatly reduced numbers. — Ora 
W. Knight, Bangor, Maine. 
