NATURALISTS AT FAULT. 239 



them under a hen, and, when they were hatched, the produce exactly 

 resembled the birds which had been asserted by the ancients to pro- 

 ceed from the decay of vegetable matter. Gerard Veer made the 

 announcement that these birds bred in Greenland, and thus afforded 

 a complete explanation of the entire absence of their eggs in southern 

 countries. 



This discovery of the Dutch navigator met with no favourable re- 

 ception. The custom of eating the Scoter in Lent had been long 

 established ; the Church allowed it, and every one was satisfied. 

 Gerard Veer was sent back to his galliot, and all kinds of reasons 

 were found for satisfying the consciences and stomachs of the faithful, 

 which had been justly alarmed. 



There was, however, no deficiency in the arguments brought 

 forward. It was asserted that the feathers of this duck were of quite 

 a different nature from those of other birds ; that their blood was 

 cold, and that it did not coagulate when shed ; that their fat, like that 

 of fishes, had the property of never hardening. The analogy between 

 this bird and the fishes being thus clearly established, the permission 

 of the Councils remained in full force. 



Finally, as the writers of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance 

 were but indifferent naturalists, and had very vaguely described the 

 Scoter Duck, the same mode of reproduction was ascribed to several 

 other marsh-birds. As a matter of course, the same toleration in 

 Lent was extended to them. The faithful were thus in the habit of 

 indulging in various other birds, such as the Brent and Bernicle 

 Geese. The opposing claims of devotion and appetite being thus 

 harmlessly satisfied, no one cared to object to a supposition which 

 gave such general satisfaction. 



We must add that this confusion of names still exists, for on the 

 sea-coast several varieties of the Duck genus still go by the name of 

 the privileged bird. 



There are several varieties of this family, the principal being 

 the species just mentioned, the Velvet Duck (Anas fusca), and the 

 Surf or Black duck (A. perspicellatd). 



THE SURF OR BLACK DUCK (Anas per spicellata). 



This bird is rare in Britain, the only positive evidence of its 

 occurrence being a female, shot in the Firth of Forth, mentioned 

 by Mr. Gould, and a specimen that was sent to Mr. Bartlett for 

 preservation, from which Mr. Yarrell derived his description. It 

 is, however, stated by Audubon a,s being abundant in winter on the 



