O R D. III. G E N. XI. DUCK. SPE. I. FEMALE EIDER DUCK. PI. 245 *. The female of this fpecies differs ftrikingly from the male. It is confider- ably fmaller, as it weighs little more than three pounds. The bill is lead- colour : the general colour of the plumage is a reddifb brown, with a tinge of yellow j the head, and upper part of the neck, marked with dufky ftreaks, pointing downward; the reft of the body mottled with tranfverfe ftreaks of black : the quill feathers, black; the fecondaries, tipped with white: the legs, dull green. This fpecies is a particular inhabitant of the weftern ifles of Scotland, where it breeds in great numbers, forming the neft of foft materials, and lining it with the very fine down, which it plucks from its body for the purpofe. The eider down being of value, the inhabitants take away the neft with the eggs; of which it lays at molt five or fix. The duck then makes another neft, which alfo is taken from her. Thefe having exhaufted her flock of down, the male aflifts her with his to form a third. If this be taken away too, they for- fake the place. From the quantity of eider down annually imported into this kingdom, we may juftly infer, that thefe birds are very plentiful in the north ern parts of Europe and America. The males do not attain their beautiful plumage till the third year. For the egg fee PI. LIV.