Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-10-11
AN ElDER-DuCK FARM.
How the Farmer Repays the Confidence o
the Trusting Birds.

How the Farmer Repays the Confidence of
the Trusting Birds.
The colonies of breeding elders often
consist of an immense nun Der of birds,
and the nests lie so thickly together
that it is often difficult to avoid stepping
into them. They are usually placed at
some slight elevation; and here in a
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 a week,
these being of pale green color, and
rather milling those of the heron.
Even before the last egg is laid it is
seen that a 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 unit! 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
sleep. On rock-bound bit of coast it
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 prosecuted the
more persistently by private indivldu-
ais. On one island, that of lsafjardar-
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'
ters of a mile in length, it was difficult
to walk without stepping into the nests.
A thick stone breakwater ran along its
coasts lust above high water mark.
At the bottom and sides of
the wall alternate stones had
been LETT out, so as to
form a series of compartments for the
ducks to nest in. Every compartment
was tenanted, and as the visitors walked
along the ducks flew 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 5"
Ducks were Matching on the turf walls
which surrounded it, in the window en-
brasures, on the ground, on the roof.
The house was fringed with ducks, and
a duck sat in the scraper. Then
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 qu1te
tame The female having laid five or
six pale, greenish-olive eggs, in nest
thickly lined with her beautiful down,
the collectors, after carefully removing
the bird, rob the Mt of it's contents,
after which they replace her. She then
begins to lay afresh--though this time
only three or four eggs-and again has
recourse to the down on her body. But
her greedy prosecutors once more rifle
her nest, and oblige her to line it for
the third time. Now, however, her own
stock of down is exhausted, and with a
plaintive voice she calls her mate to her
assistance. who willingly plucks the soft
feathers from his breast to supply the
deficiency. If the cruel robbery be again
repeated, which in former time was FREE
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,