A HAND -LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 145 



OIDEMIA NIGRA* 



309. Oidemia nigra nigra (L.) THE COMMON SCOTER. 



ANAS NIGRA Linnaeus, Syst. Xat., ed. x, i, p. 123 (1758 Lapland and 



England). 



(Edemia nigra (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 472 ; Saunders, p. 465. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Resident and winter- visitor. Breeds 

 Caithness, Sutherland, Cromarty, and parts of Ross and Inverness, 

 said to have bred Tiree, 1897, and one pair has bred in a lough in 

 Ireland since 1905 (probably 1904) (cf. Brit. B., n, pp. 39, 86, 134 ; 

 in, p. 197 ; iv, p. 154 ; v, p. 79). Common winter- visitor (young 

 birds often remaining through summer) east and south coasts. 

 Great Britain, but in Orkneys, Shetlands, 0. Hebrides and west 

 coast generally, less plentiful, though usually very common More- 

 cambe Bay and Solway. In Ireland regular visitor to northern 

 half, but scarce elsewhere. On inland waters infrequent. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeding from Iceland through north 

 Europe and west Siberia to Taimyr Peninsula, from about lat. 74 to 

 Polar Circle (bred Spitsbergen 1905). On passage and in winter 

 on shores of Europe, occasionally as far south as Spain, Portugal, 

 the Mediterranean, Azores, and Rio de Oro on west coast of the 

 Sahara. Replaced by a closely-allied race in North America and 

 north-east Siberia. 



OIDEMIA FUSCA 



310. Oidemia fusca fusca (L.) THE VELVET-SCOTER. 



ANAS FUSCA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 123 (1758 "Habitat in 

 Oceano Europaeo." Restricted typical locality : Swedish coast). 

 (Edemia ftisca (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 476 ; Saunders, p. 467. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Winter- visitor. Regular, but not 

 abundant, east coast Great Britain, not infrequent south coast, 

 rare western side. Common Orkneys, but rare Shetlands and 



* The question has been raised (in litt. ) whether the generic name Oidemia 

 should be replaced by Melanitta. Melanitta Boie (Isis, 1822, p. 564) was 

 published in May, 1822. The exact date of publication of Oidemia Fleming 

 (Philosophy of Zoology, n, p. 260) is not known. It was published in 1822, 

 but the work has no more exact date than the year. In the Edinburgh Philo- 

 sophical Journal, Vol. vn, No. xiv, which appeared in Oct, 1822, Fleming's 

 Philosophy of Zoology was first mentioned. The editors say: "We have 

 long regretted the want of a scientific, and at the same time popular, view 

 of the leading facts in zoology. It is, therefore, with much pleasure and 

 satisfaction that we announce the appearance of a work by Dr. Fleming in 

 two volumes octavo, entitled Philosophy of Zoology ..." It is therefore 

 probable that the work of Fleming was not published before the autumn of 

 1822, or the notice might have appeared in a former number. As long, how- 

 ever, as there is no absolute proof that the name Oidemia is of a later date, 

 it must not be altered, and no nomenclator should advocate such an alteration 

 on mere inference and probabilities. E.H. 



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