ANATID^J. 



Isle of Wight, and in Christchurch Bay in June and July. 

 It is not improbable that these were birds only twelve or 

 fourteen months old, that would remain unable to breed 

 till the following summer. The Scoter is not very often 

 found on fresh-water inland during winter ; yet the late 

 Sir Richard C. Hoare, Bart, sent me word, some years 

 ago, that his keeper had shot a Scoter on the ornamental 

 water in the Park at Stourhead, Wiltshire, which is more 

 than twenty miles from the sea, in a straight line, and no 

 such bird had been seen there before. It has also been 

 shot on a pond at Farnham in Hampshire. 



The Scoter feeds almost exclusively on the soft bodies of 

 muscles, and the animals of other bivalve shells, which they 

 obtain by diving, and they approach the shore generally 

 with each flood-tide for the purpose of satisfying their 

 appetite. The flesh of the Scoter is oily, and has a strong 

 fishy taste ; it is, in consequence, but seldom eaten in this 

 country ; but these same qualities are considered a recom- 

 mendation elsewhere, for, being identified with fish, it is 

 allowed by the Romish church to be eaten in Lent, and on 

 fast days. Advantage is taken of the habits of this Duck 

 by the fishermen on the coast, who, at the ebb-tide, spread 

 their nets horizontally, about two or three feet above the 

 beds of shell-fish, which these birds are observed most to 

 haunt. Upon the return of the tide the Scoters approach 

 in great numbers, and diving for their food become en- 

 tangled in the meshes of the floating nets ; and in this 

 way it is said that twenty or thirty dozens have been taken 

 in a single tide. 



I am indebted to H. L. Long, Esq., of Hampton Lodge, 

 Farnham, for a copy of a French account by M. Hugo, of 

 the mode in which many of these birds are obtained upon 

 the various salt lakes in the vicinity of Martigues, at the 

 mouth of the Rhone. These numerous salt lakes are fre- 



