Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 28.djvu/221

Rh female is less richly colored, in a modest garment adorned with gray and black spots and stripes. The eider-duck is a real sea-bird, and is excelled by none of its fellows in diving, while no other bird is more awkward in flying and helpless in walking. On the ground it moves with a toilsome waddle, stumbles and falls flat; and it greatly prefers the fluid element to the solid land. The birds generally live during the winter in large flocks on the open sea, and feed themselves with shell-fish which they bring up from the bottom. But, as soon as the spring sun begins to shine over the waves, the drake feels newly awakened the old love in his heart for his mate, and he renews his wooing. One pair after another leave the host and swim steadily toward the land. This wedding-journey toward the breeding-place offers a pretty picture of conjugal life. From the moment when the pair have found one another again there rules only one will, that of the duck, to which the male yields fully and without any wavering. Quite noticeable are his courteous attention and tenderness toward his spouse, which Madame Duck takes, as matters of course, in calm dignity. She steadily makes toward the shore, and finally lands, hardly heeding the cautions of her mate, whose instinct, sharpened by the experiences of former journeys he may have made, prompts him to beware of the devices of men. Loyally he waddles into the country, and follows her in her interminable tours while she is looking for a suitable nesting-place. Madame shows an exceedingly dainty taste during her explorations, carefully examining every bush, shrub, stone, and protected spot, venturing without fear into the dwelling-houses, even into the kitchens and chambers, where, if she finds a spot to her taste, she does not hesitate to take possession of it. Occasionally she will fix her nest in the oven, leaving it to the worthy matron of the establishment to find another place to bake her bread. The thrift of the woman generally gets the better of her vexation, and she lets the fowl alone so as not to lose its down. The nest is quickly built. The foundation is laid with dry grass and straw, after which the duck strips herself of down and forms with it a thickly soft-cushioned bowl. The drake follows every step of his mistress during these excursions and preparations, and looks out for her safety, without, however, "lending a hand" in any of her labors. As soon as the eggs are laid he deserts nest and mate and flies off to the sea to join the other males again. Great throngs of these grass widowers may then be seen sailing among the islands, wholly unconcerned about what is going on on the mainland. But we shall see how soon they are driven from this careless life.

The duck lays from four to eight, sometimes indeed ten grayish-green eggs, and then begins to sit upon them. The Northmen have been only waiting for this time to gather their spoil. Thirty ducks' nests furnish a pound of down, which can be sold on the spot for thirty marks German or $7.50 American money. The eggs are also worth money, and are generally sent to England. A duck-colony of