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THE EIDER DUCK. 
The native regions of the Eider Duck extend from 45° 
N. to the highest latitudes yet discovered, both in Europe 
and America. Solitary rocky shores and islands are their 
favourite haunts. Some wandering pairs have been known 
to breed on the rocky islands beyond Portland, in the 
state of Maine, which is perhaps the most southern extent 
of their breeding place. 
In England, the Fern Isles, on the coast of Northumber- 
land, are annually visited by a few of these birds, being the 
only place in South Britain where they are known to breed. 
They occur again in some of the Western Isles of Scotland. 
Greenland and Iceland abound with them, and here, in par- 
ticular places, their nests are crowded so close together, that 
a person can scarcely walk without treading on them. 
The natives of these countries know the value of the 
down, and carry on a regular system of plunder, both of it 
and also of the eggs. The nest is generally formed out- 
wardly of drift-grass, dry sea-weed, and such like materials ; 
the inside composed of a large quantity of down, plucked 
from the breast of the female. In this soft, elastic bed she 
deposits five eggs, extremely smooth and glossy, of a pale 
olive colour; they are also warmly covered with the same 
kind of down. When the whole number is laid, they are 
taken away by the natives, and also the down with which 
the nest is lined, together with that which covers the eggs. 
The female once more strips her breast of the remaining 
down, and lays a second, time ; even this, with the eggs, is 
