dollars a pound: it is extremely soft and warm, and so light and expansive that a couple of handfuls squeezed together is sufficient to fill a quilt five feet square. There are generally exported from Iceland every year, by the Iceland company at Copenhagen, fifteen hundred or two thousand pounds weight of this down, cleaned and uncleaned, exclusively of what is privately exported by foreigners. In the year 1750, this company sold as much in quantity of this article as produced three thousand seven hundred and forty-seven rix-dollars, besides what was sent directly to Gluckstadt." It is in the northern nations of Europe that this article is in most demand.

The males and females of the Eider differ remarkably in plumage. In the male, on each side of the head and above the eyes, there extends a very large band of black feathers; the sides of the throat and back of the neck are of a delicate sea-green; the neck is white, having a tinge of yellow, which becomes a decided buff colour over the breast; back and shoulders white; quill-feathers, tail, and under parts deep black. The female has the plumage universally of a brownish red, barred transversely with black. Length twenty-six inches. Our engraving on p. 529 represents a male of this elegant species.

Closely allied to the eider, in habits and manners, and producing down equally valuable with that of the eider, and collected indiscriminately with it, we may notice the KING DUCK (Somateria spectabilis.) It inhabits the shores of the northern regions, and associates with the eider, breeding in the same localities. The females of the two species resemble each other so nearly as to be distinguished with difficulty. The males, however, differ in their plumage.

The beak has two lateral cartilaginous projections, which rise from the base, and inclose the forehead nearly as far as the eye. The colour of the beak and legs rich vermilion; a narrow belt of black velvety feathers borders the upper mandible, and on the throat is a figure like an arrow head, or V, of black; top of the head fine bluish

gray; cheeks sea-green; neck white, passing into salmon colour on the chest; back and lesser wing-coverts white; rest of the plumage dull black. We present a sketch of the head of this beautiful bird.

HEAD OF THE KING DUCK.

Among the Ducks of the present section we may mention the Black Scotea of the northern seas, (Oidemia nigra;) the Golden Eye, (Clangula vulgaris;) and the Long-tailed Duck, (Harelda glacialis;) all widely spread, and visitants to our shores.

The last to be noticed here is a remarkable species from the shores of New Holland, which in general form and habits approximates to the cormorants, constituting a point of union between that group and the Ducks. The bird to which we allude is commonly termed the NEW HOLLAND MUSK DUCK, (Hydrobates lobatus,) remarkable for the extreme backward position of the limbs, which, while it renders progress on land slow and embarrassed, gives additional facility in cleaving the liquid element; this species is no less singular for the smallness of the wings and the shape of the tail and texture of the feathers composing it. The tail consists of twenty-two stiff narrow feathers, with firm elastic shafts, those of the centre being the longest, the others decreasing gradually to the external ones, which are very short; the tail has thus a wedge-like form, and is used as a rudder. The plumage, thick and close, is externally smooth and glossy, as if varnished, so as to be impenetrable by water. Flight

is most probably a laborious effort; but flight, as well as the facility of walking, are minor considerations to a bird whose home is the sea or the lake, the depths of which are open to it for refuge. This rare bird is found in various parts of the coast of New Holland and the adjacent islands, and also in the larger rivers and inland lakes. Peron informs us that it dives continually in pursuit of its finny prey, and that in swimming the whole of the body is submerged, the head alone being visible: it is wild and shy, and disappears instantaneously from the view of the pursuer, remaining long under water, and emerging at a great distance. The beak is short and strong, and furnished, in the male, with a large leathery membrane or wattle, depending from the lower mandible,

producing a strange aspect. The plumage is black and irregularly barred with narrow transverse and somewhat obscure lines of white; the under surface being of a grayer tint.

From the ducks we pass to the Geese, (Anser,) characterized by the bill being short, straight, and conical, furnished with a nail at the tip, and laminated serrations along the edges; the wings ample; the legs placed under the centre of the body; the toes three before, with webs, and one behind, free.

From the central position of their legs, and the length of their tarsi, the Geese walk readily on the land, where they obtain their food even more habitually than on the water. They graze the common, nipping off the tender blades of the grass with their bill; they greedily devour

grain, and relish vegetables generally. They swim, however, with great ease and buoyancy, but never dive, except in cases of emergency. Their flight is strong and rapid, and their migrations (for all or most are migratory) are performed at the rate of fifty or sixty miles in an hour. The flesh of many species is highly esteemed.

The first of this tribe to which we call the attention of our readers is one which seems to display a considerable affinity to the wading birds, and indeed may be regarded as a link of connexion between them and the Geese. The legs are naked above the joint, and elongated, while the toes are only partially webbed; the beak is short and thick, with a swollen base, covered by the cere, in the middle of which the nostrils are placed. The number of tail-feathers is sixteen, while in the rest of the tribe it is only twelve.

These circumstances have led to the establishment of a new genus for its reception, of which it forms the only known species. The genus is termed Cereopsis; the annexed sketch exhibits the characters of the bill.

HEAD OF THE CEREOPSIS.

The NEW HOLLAND CEREOPSIS, (Cereopsis Nova Hollandiæ, LATH.) This remarkable bird is a native of New Holland, on several parts of the coast of which it is very abundant; it does not, however, visit the interior, as far as we know at present, but is confined to the borders of the sea, and especially the small islands adjacent to the main land. Under the title of Cygne cendré, it was noticed by M. Vieillot, in the Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, in 1803, in conformity with a description given by M. Labillardière, in his account of the

voyage of D'Entrecasteaux, which took place in 1792, and who found it in Espérance Bay, on the coast of New Holland.

The Cereopsis, as far as we are acquainted with its native manners, is by no means so shy as our European wild geese, a circumstance depending most probably on the little disturbance it has hitherto met with in its secluded haunts. "Labillardière tells us, that many of those first seen by him, suffered themselves to be taken by the hand; but the rest, becoming apprized of their danger, speedily took to flight. Considerable numbers were taken by the crew of Captain Flinders' vessel, both at Lucky Bay, and Goose Island, by knocking them down with sticks, and some of them were secured alive. According to M. Bailly, those seen by him at Preservation Island evinced so little shyness, and suffered themselves to be approached so readily, that his boat's crew were enabled to procure, without any trouble, a sufficient quantity to victual them during their stay. The flesh of these Geese, as they are called, is described by Bass as being excellent; D'Entrecasteaux considered it much more delicate than that of the European goose, and Flinders adds, that on Preservation Island, it formed the best repasts of his men." See "Gardens Delineated." It breeds and takes up its abode amongst the grass and herbage on the shore, feeds upon vegetables, and but rarely takes to the water. Its voice is a short, deep, clanging tone. They appear to bear our climate with perfect ease, and are tame and very familiar. There is no doubt that, with care, they might become not only naturalized, but even abundant additions to our stock of farm-yard denizens.

What, it may be here asked, is the origin of our domestic goose? The origin of that well-known and valuable bird, which has been so long reclaimed from its state of primitive independence, is the GRAY LAG WILD Goose, (Anser palustris, FLEM. Anser ferus, GM.) which though at present of comparatively rare occurrence in our island, was formerly a permanent resident, breeding