SPECIES 16. ANAS NIGRA 



SCOTER DUCK. 

 [Plate LXXIL Fig. 2.] 



Le Macreuse, Buiss. vi, p. 420. pi. 38. fg. 2. BUFF, ix, p. 234.pl. 

 16.- PI. Enl. 978. BEWICK, u,p. 288. Arct. Zool. JVb. 484. 

 LATH. Syn.iu t p. 480. PEALE'S Museum, JVo. 2658.* 



THIS Duck is but little known along our seacoast, being more 

 usually met with in the northern than southern districts; and 

 only during the winter. Its food is shell fish, for which it is 

 almost perpetually diving. That small bivalve so often mention- 

 ed, small muscles, spout fish, called on the coast razor handles, 

 young clams, &c. furnish it with abundant fare; and wherever 

 these are plenty the Scoter is an occasional visitor. They swim, 

 seemingly at ease, amidst the very roughest of the surf; but fly 

 heavily along the surface, and to no great distance. They rarely 

 penetrate far up our rivers, but seem to prefer the neighbour- 

 hood of the ocean; differing in this respect from the Cormorant, 

 which often makes extensive visits to the interior. 



The Scoters are said to appear on the coasts of France in 

 great numbers, to which they are attracted by a certain kind 

 of small bivale shell fish called vaimeaux, probably differing 

 little from those already mentioned. Over the beds of these 

 shell fish the fishermen spread their nets, supporting them, 

 horizontally, at the height of two or three feet from the bottom. 

 At the flowing of the tide the Scoters approach in great num- 

 bers, diving after their favourite food, and soon get entangled 

 in the nets. Twenty or thirty dozen have sometimes been taken 

 in a single tide. These are sold to the Roman Catholics, who 



* ^nas nigra, GJVIEL. Syst. i,p. 508, .Ao. 7. Ind. Orn. p.848,.Vo. 43. T 

 Man. d'Orn. p. 856. FSALE'S Museum, -Vo. 2659,/emafc. 



