604 BRITISH BIRDS. 



tundra or on the sloping river-bank, concealed amongst the dwarf birch or 

 willow-scrub. The nest was a mere hollow scraped in the ground, lined 

 with a few broken twigs, dead leaves, and dry grass, but containing plenty 

 of down. 



The usual note of the Common Scoter is a grating kr, kr, kr, like that of 

 the Tufted Duck, but in early spring the drake calls to the duck in a 

 double note, which is not unmusical. It is a bird of very rapid flight, 

 especially on migration, but on the ground it walks clumsily. It swims 

 with pei'fect ease, and obtains most of its food by diving ; this consists of 

 mollusks and aquatic insects, varied with the seeds of water-plants and 

 other vegetable substances. 



The Common Scoter is rather a late breeder. In North-east Russia we 

 did not take its nest until the last week of June, and found fresh eggs in 

 July. Kriiper also remarks that in Iceland it is a late breeder, and that it 

 did not begin to lay until the middle of June. 



The eggs, usually eight, but sometimes nine in number, are pale greyish 

 buff, considerably darker than those of the Wigeon, smooth in grain, but 

 having little gloss. They vary in length from 2'65 to 2*4 inch, and in breadth 

 from 1"8 to 1'75 inch. The down of the Black Scoter very closely resembles 

 that of the Mallard, but is a trifle greyer; it is somewhat smaller than 

 that of the Velvet Scoter, and in the latter the white centres are not quite 

 so conspicuous. The eggs appear to be always smaller than those of the 

 Velvet Scoter, and generally smaller than those of the Goosander; they 

 are not always absolutely distinguishable from the latter, but in nine cases 

 out of ten they may be identified by their weight. I have never met 

 with blown eggs of the Common Scoter that weighed quite so much as a 

 quarter of an ounce, and of eggs of the Velvet Scoter and Goosander I 

 have only met with one example of each which did not weigh more than a 

 quarter of an ounce. The eggs of the Goosander may, however, always be 

 recognized by the paleness of the down in the nest. 



The Common Scoter* is about the size of the Mallard. The adult male 

 in nuptial dress has the entire plumage rich glossy black. Bill and tubercle 

 at the base black, except a yellow patch round the nostrils ; legs and feet 

 brownish black, darkest on the webs; irides hazel. The changes of 

 plumage referable to age, sex, and season are similar to those in the 

 Velvet Scoter; but the adult female and the young of both sexes, instead 

 of having the obscure white patches on the sides of the face, have the 

 whole of the sides of the face, the sides of the upper neck, the chin, and 

 upper throat brownish white obscurely streaked with brown. Young iu 

 down are unspotted dark brown on the upper parts and across the breast ; 

 throat white ; belly greyish brown. 



* The word " Scoter" is probably a corruption of the word " Sea-Coot.'' 



