92 COMMON d- VELVET SCOTERS GOOSANDER. 



Site. Amongst coarse herbage, &c., near water. 



Materials. Grass, sea-weed, and heather, profusely lined 

 with the celebrated down, which is mouse-brown in colour with 

 whitish centres, and very elastic. 



Eggs. Five to eight. Dull greyish green. 



COMMON OB BLACK SCOTEE (CEdemia nigra). 



A common winter visitor to most of our coast-lines ; as a 

 breeding species it is rare, nesting sparingly in the extreme 

 north of Scotland. Its proper breeding stations are much 

 further north. 



Haunts. The sea. 



Plumage. Black, glossy above, but duller below. Bill and 

 protuberance black ; central ridge of upper mandible orange - 

 yellow. Legs and feet black. Length 20 in. Female : sooty 

 black above, dark brown below ; no protuberance or orange- 

 yellow ridge on upper mandible. Young, like female, but 

 under parts mottled with brown and white. 



Language. Male's call-note resembling " tiii-tiii-tiii-tiii." 

 Female utters a harsh grating "re-re-re-re-re." 



Habits. The most marine of all Ducks, feeding in deep 

 water. It is an expert diver, and remains under the water 

 for forty or fifty seconds at a time. Gregarious. Flight rapid, 

 and near the surface of the sea. 



Food. Mollusca and Crustacea chiefly. 



Nest. June. One brood. 



Site. On some islet, among coarse herbage, &c. 



Materials. Grass, twigs, leaves, and moss, lined with down 

 resembling the Mallard's, but darker. 



Eggs. Six to nine. Pale greyish buff. 



VELVET SCOTER ((Edemia fused). 



A much less common winter visitor than the last. Although 

 essentially marine in habits, it has been observed more com- 

 monly on inland freshwater lakes, &c., than the last. It differs 

 from same in its larger size, the white patch behind each eye, 

 and the conspicuous white bar across the wings. In all other 

 respects it closely resembles the Common Scoter. 



GOOSANDER (Mergus merganser). 



A not uncommon winter visitor to our coasts, estuaries, 

 and freshwater lakes. Breeds sparingly in the Highlands of 

 Scotland. 



Plumage. Head and upper neck dark green ; lower neck 

 and under parts white, suffused with pink ; upper back and 



