204 Poachers and Poaching. 



in loosely floating flocks of thousands. The 

 common scoter is a winter visitant to our coasts, 

 sometimes coming in such numbers that the 

 waters between the eastern counties and Holland 

 seem covered with them. This also holds good 

 with regard to the west coast, where the scoters 

 arrive in July. They stay for some days on 

 fresh water ; but, once launched on their winter 

 haunt, it is not unusual for a single fisherman to 

 take half a cartload in his " dowker " nets in a 

 a morning. The scoter is entirely black ; it 

 dives remarkably well, and can remain a long 

 time under water. It feeds upon mussels and 

 other soft bivalves, following the advancing tides 

 shoreward in search of them. These facts the 

 fisherman notes, and works accordingly. He 

 marks where the birds feed, sees their borings 

 and stray feathers, and when the tide has ebbed 

 spreads his nets. These are attached by a peg at 

 each corner, and laid about fifteen inches above 

 the ground. Returning to feed with the tide, the 

 ducks dive head foremost into the nets and 

 become hopelessly fast. Another of the sea- 

 ducks, the scaup, is also taken in large numbers 

 in this way. But, owing to the oily nature of 

 their flesh and its fishy taste, these birds are 

 rarely eaten. It is owing to this fact that during 

 Lent in Catholic countries the flesh of the scoter 

 is allowed to be eaten. Close cousin to the 

 last and somewhat rarer is the velvet scoter, 



