Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-31
Election Day next Tuesday.
ABOUT ELDER DOWN,
How the Fluffy Stuff is obtained-E1-
citing Adventures.


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How the Fluffy Stuff is obtained-Ex.
citing Adventures.
The wonderfully soft and warm SUBJ
stance which we call elder down is pro-
duced by the elder duck. an inhabitant
of the Arctic ocean. 1t is proper to
call these birds inhabitants of the ocean,
for they pass the greater part of their
lives far out at sea, only coming to land
for little while in spring for the pur-
pose of laying and Matching their eggs.
They are very awkward on land, but
are wonderful swimmers and divers, de-
scending twelve fathoms below the sur
face of the water and remaining sub
merged as long as five minutes at
time. Their food consists principally
of mollusks, which they pick up from
the ben of the sea.
Their favorite laying places are GER
tain small low islands off the coast of
Norway, which are called "eider.
holms." The birds visit these islands
in pairs, which present striking con-
trast in appearance, the brakes being
brilliantly colored in black, white and
green, while the females are Of q dull,
reddish brown, matching the color of
the scanty vegetation so perfectly that
even practised hunter can hardly dis
cover them when they crouch down
among the reeds.
On coming ashore the duck proceeds
very deliberately to choose place for a
nest, while the drake follows and occa-
sionally gives warning of real or fancied
danger. The duck is very hard to suit,
and 1t is not an unusual thing for her,
after examining all likely spots OF
doors, to march boldly into house and
coolly select what she considers suita-
BILE place for her nest, such as the oven
if it happens to be unused at the time.
The human inmates of the house wei.
come her gladly, supply her with food,
and cheerlully submit to any small in.
conveniences like the temporary loss OF
their oven, for they know that their
guest will pay good price for heI
board and lodging. When the duck has
selected place she gathers grass and
sticks and builds her nest. Then she
plucks the soft down from her breast
and makes wonderful mat, which moi
only covers the bottom of the nest, but
rises SO far above the edge that it can be
folded over the eggs when the duck
leaves the nest in search of food.
When the six or eight eggs are laid
they are seized, together with the valu
able elder down mat, by the people O
the house, and the duck goes off in sor.
row to her mate, who awaits her on the
shore, as his courage never rises to such
nil fN hi fN hn
The duck, somewhat wiser than be-
fore, proceeds to build another nest out
Of doors, and as her own down feathers
are exhaused, she calmly plucks the
drake's breast as bare as her own. Aftel
this outrageous treatment he goes off ir
disgust and rejoins his companions al
sea. This time the duck is allowed to
hatch her brood without human inter
ference. But whenever she leaves the
nest two or three eggs are liable to bt
stolen by some other duck who has {
nest near by. The marauder carefully
folds the down coverlid over the rob
bed nest again and carries the s.oler
eggs to her own nest. In this way thu
eggs are changed about 80 that duck
may finally hatch out a brood contain
ing not a single one of her own offspring
AS soon as the ducklings are all hatchet
out the mother, or foster mother, If un
disturbed, endeavors to lead her flock II
the shore.
This march to the sea Is to the duck
lings what teetmug is to human infants
the most trying" time of their lives
for they are exposed to the attacks o
birds of prey and other enemies. Usual,
( the islanders again interfere at thi
point, but now their interference bene
fits the ducks as well as themselves
They gather the down and carry tn
ducklings in baskets to the shore, tn,
old ducks following them very con
tentedly.
When the shore is reached the bask
cts are empted into the water. The oil
ducks plunge in, and after good dea
of commotion swim out to sea, each fol
lowed by a flock of ducklings, some o
which she has never seen before.
The duck does not always make he
first nest in house, of course, and If tn
first nest is not disturbed she will sim
ply hatch her brood and put to sea will
them, and the drake will not be robbed
of his feathers. But the islanders ar
very watchful, and the first nest rarel,
escapes, NO matter where 1t is built.
Sometimes the ducks down is suffici
ent to supply the second nest, and in thi
case the drake remains with his family
This nest is then robbed also, and tn
poor duck is forced to begin third
with the help of the drake's dow
feathers. The rule among the elder
down hunters is to rob every nest unit
the drake's feathers, which differ il
color from those of his mate, aprea
among the down. When this occurs /
is known that the pair will build n
more that year, and so the eggs are al
lowed to hatch in order to preserve tn
species.
A single nest will furnish at least al
ounce Of down. which Is worth on tn
spot about Is cents of our money. A
the birds visit the island in vast mum
bers, the collection and sale of tn
down mats Is an important source Q
income to the Inhabitants.
l.. B. FLETCHER.
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