Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-09-04
AN EiDER-DUcK FARM.
How the Farmer Rep.ys the Confidence OF
NE the Trusting B1ras.

How the Farmer Rep.ys the Confidence OF
naaE the Trusting Btrt1s-
The colonies of breeding elders often
consist of an immense mum Der of birds,
and the nests lie SO thickly together
that it is often difficult to avoid stepping
into them. They are usually placed 1t
some slight elevations; and here in
faint depression the duck collects a
small quantity of seaweed and drift
stuff, which she forms into felty mass
with her breast Upon this four or five
eggs are laid in the course of . week,
these being of pale green color, and
rather reSem bling those of the heron
Even before the last egg is laid it is.
seen that few feathers are scattered
about the nest, and as incubation pro-
ceeds these increase in quantity. The
bird covers the eggs with down plucked
from her breast. and this she does day
by day until . very considerable quaint
ity buries the eggs. 1t is this down
which has become such an important
article of commerce. If the elders are
Matching under ordinary conditions, the
young appear in about twenty-six days,
and almost Immediately betake
themselves to the water. It Is here
that they sun themselves feed and
is interesting to watch the ducklings
padding among the stones and feeding
upon the tiny bivalves that are common
among the bays and inlets These re-
marks refer to, the breeding of wild
elders; but unfortunately colonies of
birds under natural conditions are be-
coming more and more rare every year.
The commercial collector has every
where stepped in. and is putting ter
rible drain upon the species
In Norway this bird is protected by
law, though only to be persecuted the
more persistently by private individu-
ais. On one island. that of Isafjardar-
jup, elder ducks are said to nest in thou
sands Speaking of the breeding sights
by the shore Mr.. Shepherd, who visited
the colony, tells us that the brown
ducks sat upon their nests in masses,
and at every step started from beneath
his feet On this island, of three-quar-
tiers of q mile in length. 1t was difficult
to walk without stepping into the nests
| A thick stone breakwater ran along its
coasts just above high water mark.
| At the bottom and sides of
| the wall alternate stones had
been left out SO as to
form series of compartments for the
ducks to nest in. Every compartment
was tenanted, and as the visitors walked
along the ducks few out all along the
line. These were welcomed by the
white brakes, which were tossing on
| the water with loud and clamorous
cooling" A farm house on the island
was tenanted in like manner. The
| house itself was "a great marvel. !"
Ducks were Matching on the turf walls
d<a1
! brasures, on the ground, on the. roof.
The house was fringed with ducks, and
a duck sat in the scraper. Then a
grassy bank close by was cut into
| squares, every one of which was occu-
pied A windmill was packed. as was
every available object on the island
mounds, rocks, crevices. This was an
eider-down farm. So tame were the
ducks as to allow the farmers wife to
stroke them as they sat on their nests
OF course there is another side to this
pleasant picture, as we see when we
| learn how the good lady" of
the island repays the confidence
of the birds. And here it is by an
other observer: The elder down is
easily collected, as the birds are quite
tame. The female having laid five or
six pale. greenish-olive eggs, in nest
tnickly lined with her beautiful down,
the collectors, after carefully removing
the bird, rob the nest of its contents,
after which they replace her. She then
begins to lay afresh--though this time
only three or four eggs-and again hss
recourse to the down on her body. But
her greedy prosecutors once more rife
her nest, and oblige her to line it for
the third time. Now, however, her own
stock of down is exhausted, and with Q
p1aintive voice she calls her mate to her
assistance Who willingly plucis the soft
feathers from his breast to supply the
deficiency. If the cruel robbery be again
repeated, which in former time was fire.
quently the case, the poor elder duck
abandons the spot never to return. and
seeks for a new home where she may
indulge her maternal instinct undis-
turbed by the avarice of man-"-Corn-
hill Magazine.
/ ri ANT lNTEIl IGENGE