178 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



in 1878, a specimen was killed so late as the month of 

 May. The Scoter is a shy and wary bird, difficult of 

 approach even upon its first arrival, but, like the Scaup, 

 it is sometimes taken in large numbers in the Douker- 

 nets which are stretched for the purpose on many parts 

 of the shores of Furness. These nets are of various 

 lengths, but mostly about four feet wide, with a mesh 

 of four inches. They are set on the sands near w^iere 

 the birds have been feeding the previous tide, this being 

 evidenced by the droppings they leave, and the holes 

 bored by them in their search for cockles and other 

 small molluscs. Four small stakes are driven into the 

 sand, leaving about fifteen inches visible, and the net is 

 hung loosely between them, one stake at each corner. 

 When the tide rises, and the Ducks come with it, 

 whether they dive head-foremost into the nets, or get 

 fast in them from beneath, they are rapidly drowned, 

 and half a cart-load is not considered a very extra- 

 ordinary day's catch. 



VELVET SCOTEE. 



(Edemia fusca (Linnffius). 



The Velvet Scoter is sometimes represented by a few 

 individuals among the flocks of the common species 

 (p. 167), but it is of very infrequent occurrence, and 

 only two instances of its being shot away from the sea 

 have come under my notice. One of these was on 

 Windermere, on May 23rd, 1848, the bird being a male, 

 and Mr. Thomas Gough of Kendal, who recorded the 

 capture {Zool. [1848], p. 2230), states that "the female 

 was also observed about the same time " ; the other is 



