The eider (Somateria mollissima) is a coastal duck of the family Anatidae found from 45 degrees north to the arctic. Its favourite haunts are solitary rocky shores and islands. In Greenland and Iceland they occur in great numbers, and also breed on the western islands of Scotland. The eider duck is about twice the size of the common duck, being about 70 cm in length, 90 cm in breadth of wing, and from 6 to 7 lbs. in weight. The male is black, with the head and back white, with a black crown. The female is reddish drab spotted with black, and with two white bands on the wings. The eider feed largely on shell-fish, crustaceans, etc.
Their nests are usually formed of driftgrass, dry sea-weed, etc, lined with a large quantity of down, which the female plucks from her own breast. In this soft bed she lays five eggs, which she covers over with a layer of down. If this, with the eggs, is removed the bird repeats the process. One female generally furnishes about half-a-pound of down, but the quantity is reduced by cleaning. This down, from its superior warmth, lightness, and elasticity, is in great demand for beds and coverlets; and the districts in Norway and Iceland where these birds abound are guarded with the greatest vigilance as a most valuable property. As found in commerce this down is in balls of the size of a man's fist, and weighing from 3 to 4 lbs. It is so fine and elastic that 5 lbs. of the best quality is sufficient for a whole bed. The down from dead birds is little esteemed, having lost its elasticity. The king eider duck (Somateria spectabilis) is another species resembling the preceding and inhabiting the same coasts. Research Eider
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Abbreviations
Nature
Research Eider
