318 DUCK GROUP 



third year. The duckhiig is dark brown above, but the throat and 

 sides of the head, as well as the front of the neck, arc \-ellowish white, 

 while a dull grey band traverses the lower part of the latter, and the 

 under side of the body is dull yellowish. 



The scaup-duck, which is mainly marine in its habits, is a circum- 

 polar species, breeding in western Europe as far north as latitude 70°, 

 that is to say, some five degrees within the Arctic Circle ; eastwards the 

 breeding-range extends across northern Russia and the dreary Siberian 

 tundra, beyond the limits of tree-growth, to Kamchatka, where it is 

 resumed on the other side of Bering Sea in Alaska to extend across 

 the American continent northward of latitude 50 . In western 

 Europe the scauj^-duck apjiarcnth' breeds over a large part of 

 Scandinavia, but not farther south. On the other hand, during winter 

 these handsome diving ducks journey long distances to the southward 

 of their nesting-resorts, visiting not only the British Islands, but like- 

 wise the Mediterranean coasts, although somewhat sparingly, as well 

 as the Black and Caspian Seas, China and Japan, and much the same 

 latitudes in the New World. Although mainly, and in most parts a 

 by no means uncommon, winter-visitor to the British Isles, the scaup- 

 duck occasionally prolongs its sojourn in the north of Scotland 

 throughout the year, and it has been found nesting in Sutherlandshire 

 in 1899, in Fifcshire in the neighbourhood of Loch Leven in 1880, 

 and in the Outer Hebrides in 1897 and 1900. As a rule, however, it 

 takes its departure from our islands for the north during March ; 

 some of the birds probably not going \cry far, as Iceland is a favourite 

 breeding-resort of the species. The northern and exposed situation 

 of the Outer Hebrides is probably sufficient to account for the rare 

 occurrence of the bird during the winter in these islands, although a 

 similar reason cannot be adduced to account for its rarity at that time 

 of the year on the southern coast of Ireland. Although scaup-duck 

 are occasionall)' recorded during winter from Kashmir, Kulu, Nepal, 

 and other Himalayan districts, it is but very rarely indeed that any 

 individuals reach the plains of India. Nevertheless, the species has 

 been .seen at Karachi, near Delhi, and even in Bombay. 



As already stated, the .scaup-duck, or scaup-pochard, as it is 

 .sometimes called, is essentially a bird of the sea-coast, and is very 

 .seldom .seen far inland except during the breeding-season. Both .sexes 

 have a loud screaming note far more harsh and discordant than that 

 of any other duck. Both in winter and summer (except during the 

 nesting-.season) it associates in flocks or parties, which are, however, 

 much larger at the former than at the latter time. The duck lays 



