Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-09-13
AN FARM.
How the Farmer Repays the Confidence o.
the Trusting Birds.

-
the Trusting Birds.
The colonies OF breeding elders often
,onsist Of an immense number OF birds
md the nests lie so thickly together
hat il is often diaicultt 10 avoid stepping
INTO them. They arc usually placed at
some slight elevation; and here in a
faint depression the duck collects q
small quantity Of seaweed and drift
+ stuff. which she forms into a felty ASS
with her breast Upon this four or five
Eggs are laid in the course Of a week,
these being Of a pale green color, and
rather resembling 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-
seeds these increase in quantity. The
bird covers the eggs with down plucked
from her breast and this she does day
by day until a very considerable quaint
ity buries the eggs. 1t is this down
which has become such an important
article of commerce, II the elders are
Matching under ordinary conditions, the
young appear in about twenty-six days,
and almost Immediately betake
themselves TO the water. 1t is here
that they sun themselves feed and
sleep On a rock-hound 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 10 the breeding of wild
elders; but unfortunately colonies of
birds under natural conditions are be-
coming more and more rare every year.
Tho commercial collector has every
where stepped in, and is ~puttinga ter
rible drain upon the species,
In Norway this bird is protected by
law, though only to be prosecuted the
more persistently by private ind. vidu-
ais. On one island, that Of lsafjgdar-
jup elder ducks are said to nest n 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 hneath
his feet On this island, Of thre-quar-
ters of a mile in length, it was dficult
to walk without stepping into thenests.
A thick stone breakwater ran abng its
coasts just above high water mark.
At the bottom and sids of
the wall alternate stones had
been left out, so as to
form a series of compartments br the
ducks to nest in. Every compartment
was tenanted, and as the visitors walked
along the ducks flew out all alog the
inc. These were welcomed " the
white brakes, which were tossing on
the water with loud and clanorous
cooling" A farm house on the sland
was tenanted in a like manner The
house itself was "a great mrycl"
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
/ duck sat in the scraper. Ten a
grassy bank close by was Cut into
squares, every one of which was occu-
pied A windmill was packed, IS was
every available object on the iland-
mounds, rocks, crevices. This vas an
eider-down farm. So tame wee the
ducks as to allow the farmers wife to
stroke them as they sat on their nests
OF course there is another sideto this
pleasant picture, as we see wien we
learn how the good LADY" of
the island repays the confidence
Of the birds. And here it is oy an
other observer: "'The elder bwn is
easily collected, as tho birds ar quite
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 nest of its contents,
after which they replace her. Sic then
begins to lay afresh--though this time
only three or four eggs-and again has
recourse to the down on her body Bus
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
p~laintive 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 fire.
luently the case, the poor elder duck
abandons the spot to return, and
seeks for a new home where she may
indulge her maternal instinct undis-
turbed by the ayarice of an."-Corn-
hill Magazine.