THE SCOTER 331 



remain in this country to breed. It is, however, 

 chiefly during the autumn and winter months that 

 this variety of duck is most plentiful on our coasts, 

 for it ever prefers the sea, and, except during 

 rough weather, avoids the shelter of the bays and 

 inland waters. Saunders states that ' at times its 

 flocks blacken the sea between this country and 

 Holland, and are also very plentiful throughout 

 the English Channel.' It is most common on 

 the East coast of England, the coast of Lanca- 

 shire, the Sol way, and the North-eastern coast of 

 Ireland. Its plumage is very sombre, the upper 

 parts being of a glossy, the under parts of a duller 

 black. The bill is of the same hue, with a longi- 

 tudinal stripe of orange colour from base to point. 

 The plumage of the female is of a brownish-black 

 shade. The length of this bird is twenty inches. 

 The velvet scoter is of the same size as the 

 common scoter. Indeed, all three varieties of 

 the scoter are of the same dimensions, and very 

 similar in colour. The velvet scoter is less common 

 than the common scoter. Both birds frequent 

 much the same localities. The plumage of the 

 velvet scoter is of a velvet-black. The bill is 

 orange- coloured ; the legs and toes of the same, 

 the webs black. Below the eye there is a white 

 crescent-shaped spot, and also a white bar across 

 the wing. The female is of a brownish-black 

 colour, a whitish patch in front of the eye and 

 another behind it ; the bar on the wing less white 

 than that of the male ; the bill lead-coloured ; the 



