| 2b THE NATURAL HISTORY 
The Eider Duck is of the Goofe kind: jg 
is double the fize of a common duck; its bil] 
is black and cylindric, with a wrinkled and di. 
vided cere; the feathers of the cheeks, and of the 
fore part of the head, come far upon the bill, and 
form two fharp points; the forehead is quite | 
black. There is a broad black bar, which goes 
from the corners of the bill, acrofs the eyes, to the 
back part of the head; and the legs are green, 
It is found on the weftern iflands of Scotland, 
and in Norway, Iceland, and Greenland; its 
down is very foft, and light, and elaftic; itis ufed 
in coverlets for old people, who want to be kept. 
warm, but cannot bear a covering that is heavy, 
fuch as blankets. The Eider Duck lays five or 
fix eggs, among.ftones, or plants, near the fhore; 
and makes a very warm neft by pulling the down 
from her breaft. The people who live near the — 
fhore, watch her, and take away both the down 
—and-the eggs. The duck lays again, and is then 
obliged to pull all the reft of the down from her 
breaft. If fhe be robbed again, fhe will laya third. 
- time ; but then the Drake muft find the down for 
the neft, becaufe there is none left upon the 
poor Duck. ‘Three pounds of this down may be 
prefled into a fpace, a little larger than an orange; 
yet 4 

