‘42 «Oo THE NATURAL HISTORY 
. The-Eider Duck is of the Goofe kind: it 
| is double the fize of a common duck; its bill 
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; it is 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 the be robbed again, fhe will lay a third 
time ; . but then the Drake muft find the down for 
ther nett, becaufe- there is none left. ‘upon the 
poor Duck. ‘Three pounds of this down may be 
—_ into a fpace, a little larger than an Orange; 
e yet. 

