282 INDIAN DUCKS 



The only eggs I have ever seen were taken in Iceland on the 

 KJth June ; these are dull cafc-au-kiit, with a grey tinge. In shape 

 they are rather broad, very regular ovals, and the texture of the egg 

 is much like that of the egg of Nyroca nyroca, but not, I think, quite 

 so soft or porous. There is no gloss. 



Dr. Paul Leverkiihn informs me that Mr. Baer, of Neisse, in 

 Silesia, found the Scaup breeding in Germany. Previously it had 

 only been known to visit Germany in winter. Dr. Leverkiihn him- 

 self obtained many specimens on the coast of the Baltic Sea. 



General Habits. — Although, once well away on the wing, the flight 

 of Scaup is fairly fast and strong, they are exceedingly slow and 

 clumsy in getting off the water, their manner of so doing having 

 been likened by various observers to that of the coot ; that is to 

 say, they rise very obliquely, splashing noisily along the surface for 

 some yards before getting clear of it, and, once clear, still taking 

 some time to get up their speed. When driven, however, from a 

 long distance, enabling them to get fully into their stride, I found 

 that they can work up a very creditable pace, indeed they quite 

 deceived me, my first shot at driven birds being a yard behind, and 

 even the second, which brought down a bird, was not enough 

 forward. 



On land they are perhaps, even more awkward in commencing 

 to fly than on the water, and it must be, indeed, severe pressure 

 which can induce them to change their slow waddle into a quicker 

 shuffle. They have the repute of not being wild birds, and of being 

 fairly easy of approach on the water, and, when hard pressed, of 

 frequently preferring to attempt escape by diving rather than by 

 taking flight. So great, however, are their diving powers that they 

 are perhaps as difficult to bring to bag as are the wilder birds which 

 more quickly take to wing. Wounded only, it is as likely as not 

 the bird may escape, as it is almost impossible to follow its move- 

 ments, and when it does appear on the surface, it again disappears 

 with such rapidity that it takes a gunner of some smartness to get 

 a shot at it and finish it off. 



The food of the Scaup is everywhere chiefly of an animal character. 

 Inland, doubtless, it feeds to a certain extent on water-weeds, etc., 

 these being mainly such as grow at some depth and are obtained by 



