i5 2 
B I R 
SPECIES VI. 
pjRormiuss eider, or feft feathered 
duck; the Cuthbert duck, JVil. 
orn. 362. 
Raii fyn. av. 141. 
Great black and white duck, Eazv. 
av. 98. 
Eider anas. Sib. Scot. 21, 
—^ HIS ufeful fpecies is found in the 
weftern ijles of Scotland ,and on theiw# 
ijles j * ** but in greater numbers in iW- 
Iceland, and Greenland: from whence avail 
quantity of the down, known by the name of 
Eider or Edder, which thefe birds furnifh, is an¬ 
nually imported : its remarkably light, elaftic, 
and warm qualities, make it highly efteemed as 
a fluffing for coverlets, by fuch whom age or in¬ 
firm hies render unable to fupport the weight of 
common blankets. This down is produced from 
the breafl of the bird in the breeding feafon. It 
lavs its eggs among the Hones ox plants, near 
the ffiore ; and prepares a foft bed for them, by 
plucking the down from its own breafl j the na¬ 
tives watch the opportunity, and take away both 
eggs and nefl : the duck lays again, and repeats 
the feathering of its breafl: if ffie is robbed after 
that, ffie will Hill lay $ but the drakes muft fupply 
the down, as her flock is now exhaufted : but 
D s . [Clafsll 
The Eider Duck. 
The Colk. Martin's defcription of 
the weftern ijles 25* 
Anfer lanuginofus. Briffon av. VI. 
294. Tab. 29. Fig. 30. 
Anas molliffima. Lin. Jyft. 124. 
Pontop. hift. Norway. II. 70. 
Hot. hift. Icel. 65. 
if the eggs are taken a third time, fne wholly 
deferts the place. 
This kind is double the fize of the common 
duck : its bill is black; the feathers of the fore¬ 
head and cheeks advance far into the bafe, fo as 
to form two very ffiarp angles : the forehead is of 
a full velvet black : from the bill to the hind part 
of the head is a broad black bar, palling a-crofs 
the eyes on each fide: on the hind part of the 
neck, juft beneath the ends of thefe bars, is a pea 
green mark, that looks liker a flam i the crown 
of the head, the neck, back, and coverts of the 
wrings are white $ the lower part of the breafl, 
the belly, tail, and quil feathers, and legs are 
black : the female is entirely of a reddifh brown, 
barred with black : the greater or laft row of co¬ 
verts of the wings, and the lefler row of quil fea¬ 
thers are tipt with white ; the tail is dufky. 
* Ray s it in, 183. 
** It lays five or fix eggs as 
color. 
large as thofe of a goofe, and qf a green 
SPECIES VII. 
The black duck. JVil. orn. 363, 
Raii fyn. av. 14 1 • 
Dales hift. Harwich 4 °5- 
^HE male of this fpecies, according to 
Mr. Willoughby , (for we have feen only 
the female) is larger than the tame 
duck. The bill is broad and fhort * yellow on 
The Velvet Duck. 
Anas niger major. Briffon av. VI, 
423- 
Anas fufca. Lin. fyft. 123. 
the fides, black in the middle, and the hook red : 
the head, and part of the neck is black tinged 
with green : behind each ear is a white fpot; and 
in each wing is a white feather : all the reft of 
the 
