98 OUR MIGRANT BIRDS 



COMMON OR BLACK SCOTER ((Edemia nigra). 



A common winter visitor to most of our coast-lines ; 

 as a breeding species it is rare, nesting sparingly in the 

 extreme north of Scotland. Its proper breeding 

 stations are much further north. 



Haunts. The sea. 



Plumage. Black, glossy above, but duller below. 

 Bill and protuberance black ; central ridge of upper 

 mandible orange-yellow. Legs and feet black. Length 

 20 in. Female : sooty black above, dark brown below ; 

 no protuberance or orange-yellow ridge on upper man- 

 dible. Young, like female, but under parts mottled 

 with brown and white. 



Language. Male's call-note resembling " tiii-tiii-tiii- 

 tiii." Female utters a harsh, grating " re-re-re-re-re." 



Habits. The most marine of all Ducks, feeding in 

 deep water. It is an expert diver, and remains under 

 the water for forty or fifty seconds at a time. Gregarious. 

 Flight rapid, and near the surface of the sea. 



Food. Mollusca and Crustacea chiefly. 



Nest. June. One brood. 



Site. On some islet, among coarse herbage, &c. 



Materials. Grass, twigs, leaves, and moss, lined 

 with down resembling the Mallard's, but darker. 



Eggs. Six to nine. Pale greyish buff. 



VELVET SCOTER ((Edemia fusca). 



A much less common winter visitor than the last. 

 Although essentially marine in habits, it has been 

 observed more commonly on inland fresh-water lakes, &c., 



