The Scaup Ducks. 343 



localities — usually about the harbour 

 entrance, or a rocky bay adjoining the 

 open sea— hence they are less frequently 

 met with than the Golden-eyes, which are 

 scattered in odd pairs all over the sandy 

 channels of the estuary. . . . 



*' Besides the places where, as above 

 indicated, the main bodies of the resident 

 Scaup Ducks take up their winter quarters, 

 one frequently meets with small bunches 

 of half a dozen or so inside harbour, 

 especially about the " scaps," or mussel- 

 beds (whence probably their name), and 

 even on the edge of the ooze, where they 

 occasionally vary their shell-fish diet with 

 a feed of sea-grass. They always, how- 

 ever, keep afloat, or nearly so ; it is very 

 seldom one sees a Scaup or Golden-eye 

 go on to dry land, nor (on the coast) 

 have I ever heard either species utter 

 any note. 



" Scaup are the tamest of all the Duck 

 tribe, and — exactly the reverse of the 

 Golden-eye — they continue throughout 

 the winter as tame and as easily ap- 

 proached as when they first arrive in 

 October. On seeing a pack of them, one 

 can shove the punt close in upon them, 

 and then, if scattered, can wait securely 

 till they arrange themselves nicely to 



