330 NATATORES. OIDEMIA. SCOTER. 



Periodical DURING the winter, and till the season of spring is tolerably 

 well advanced, the Scoter is to be found upon our shores, 

 frequenting more particularly those which are of rocky cha- 

 racter, and which of course abound most in Crustacea, bivalve, 



Food. mollusca, and other small marine animals, upon which it 

 entirely subsists. To obtain these it is in the constant habit 

 of diving, and is able to remain submerged for a considerable 

 time ; but as this can only be efficacious in water of a certain 

 depth, it approaches at every flow of the tide rather near to 

 the shore, at least where the depth does not exceed a few 

 fathoms, swimming with ease amidst the heaviest surf, and 

 pursuing its diving investigations with unwearied diligence. 

 In France, where an accommodating creed has allowed the 

 Scoter, and its congener the Velvet Scoter, to rank as Jish, 

 and of course to be eaten on fast days, advantage has been 

 taken of their habits by the fishermen on those coasts, who, 

 at the ebb, spread their nets horizontally about two or three 

 feet above the beds of shell-fish, which these birds are ob- 

 served most to haunt. Upon the return of the tide the 

 Scoters approach in great numbers, and, diving for their 

 food, become entangled 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. In this country they are uni- 

 versally rejected as food for the very qualities that render 

 them acceptable to our neighbours, viz. the oiliness and fishy 

 flavour of the flesh, and consequently no attempts are made 

 to take them, though there is little doubt but that they might 

 be caught with equal ease, and in as great numbers on some 

 parts of our coast. The flight of the Scoter is straight and 

 tolerably rapid, but near the surface of the water, and sel- 

 dom to any great distance at a time. Its wings are rather 

 short and concave (like the typical Natatores), and the first 

 quill is strongly notched at about half its length, the remain- 

 ing part to the tip being very narrow. This circumstance, 

 as well as the proportionate shortness of that to the other 

 quills, as compared with Old. fusca and Old. persplclllata> 



