COMMON SCOTER. 



177 



thousands. The birds begm to arrive early in July, 

 and Mr. E. C. Buxton {Zoul. [1860] , p. 7172) remarks 

 that on the 7th July, 18G0, he saw flocks at the mouth 

 of the Eibble which must have numbered a thousand 

 individuals, there being several Velvet Scoters mingled 

 with them. Mr. T. Gough {ZooL [1848] , p. 2230) also 

 says that in the first week of July, 1848, fourteen 



PIEI, CASTLE AXD DOUKER-XETS, 



Common Scoters were met with on Windermere near 

 Wray Castle, and that "this species occurs every year 

 upon the lake, about the same time of the season, but 

 never stays more than a day or two." In April and 

 May the spring departure takes place, but odd birds 

 may be seen along the coast the year through. Away 

 from the sea, the Common Scoter is occasionally shot, 

 but is rare. In the severe winter of 1879-80, however, 

 Mr. E. Davenport tells me that twos and threes 

 appeared every week on the Bury reservoir, where also, 



N 



