Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-07

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In the recesses and holes and
cavities b tween the hummocks Of
Iceland the elder ducks may be seen
sitting on their nests OF these
there are several scores, and the birds
themselves when .tting are perfectly
tame, some If them even allowing .
stranger to stroke them with the
hand. They are not all Matched at
the same time. and are still in the
egg when others are hstched and
swimming about in the sea- The
drake. as is SO frequently the case
with the male bird. is . handsome.
snowy creature, with much white in
his plumage. He is excessively shy
and wary, while the female, whose
plumage is brown and glossy. is. on
the cont AIRY, tame and confiding.
The duck lays from five to six eggs
1t the beginning OF June. and it is
no unusual thing to find from ten to
/ sixteen eggs in one nest together
with two females. who sit ither at in
tervals, or, If necessary, both at the
same time, and strange to say, seem
to agree rema: kab!y well with one
another. The period of laying lasts
some six o. seven weeks. and the
birds are in th- habit of laying three
times in diffc .nt places. From the
first and second Of these both the
down and eggs aSe taken away, but
from the last it Is very seldom that
the farmer removes either Should
he do so with any degree of per-
sistency the birds would desert the
locality. and he is not such q fool as
to destroy the duck with the golden
eggs.
In some cases the owner resides
on or near the farm. In this par
ticular instance he visits the island
from the mainland once a week at
least. So SO n as he and his men
arrive at the nest they carefully re-
move the female and take away the
superfluous down and eggs. The
duck Immediately begins to lay
afrcsh, and cove-s her eggs with
new down, which she plucks from
her own breast If the supply Is in
adequate the male comes to her assist
ance and helps to cover the eggs
with his down. This being white is
easily distinguished from the brown
covering which the female supplies.
and is not so good in quality.
The nest Is now. As a general rule,
left until the young ones are matched
There is not much caliowness and
helplessness about these youngsters.
About an hour after they are out of
the she'll they quit the nest together,
when it i once more plunderea. This
down is divided INTO seaweed down
and grass down. The latte. Is gener-
ally considered to he the best in
quality. The down is vcrr valuable
and fetches from 81 to s. pound.
The three first takes Z. down vary
considerably in quality, the first
being superior to the second AMI the
second to the third. The birds them
selves, apart from their down-givine
capacities, are of little value. The
down taken from dead elder ducks is
valueless, as it has lost al its ma-ve-
lous elasticity.
An eide. duck farm az is excessively
proud of his ducks. and regards them
with intense and peculiar affection.
SAYS the Chicago Record. The owner
Of the farm just desc ibc1 was in the
habit Of saying that he would rather
lose one Of his children than one oil
his ducks, but to any one who had
seen both, this statement would seem
to have had but little comparative
value.