126 ANATID^E 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the respective 

 nuptial plumages. 



Immature, male and female. Resembles the female 

 plumage, but the brown on the front of the head is finely 

 spotted with white. 



BEAK. Slate-grey with a black tip. 



FEET. Dull slate-grey ; webs nearly black. 



IRIDES. Bright golden-yellow. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH 17*25 in. 



WING 8 



BEAK 1'75 ,, 



TARSO-METATABSUS ... ... 1 ,, 



EGG 2-3 X 3 '5 in. 



SCAUP-DUCK. 1 Fuligula mania (Linnaeus). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, 'Birds of Great Britain,' vol. v, 

 pi. 24; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pi. 436; 

 Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 46. 



The presence of the Scaup-Duck is a feature of bird-life 

 on the coast ; it is essentially marine in its habits, and even 

 when, under exceptional circumstances, it is met with on 

 fresh water, the locality is usually adjacent to the sea. This 

 Duck is a common winter- visitor to our Isles, arriving about 

 October and departing in March or April. After the main 

 body of migrants has arrived, Scaups do not apparently 

 become more plentiful with the onset of severe weather, 

 as inland lakes, not being frequented, cannot, when frost- 

 bound, reinforce the numbers of those birds on tidal waters. 

 The Scaup is not a wary bird. I have passed, when sailing 

 on the open sea, within sixty yards of large flocks. 

 During heavy gales, shallow creeks and salt-water channels 

 are often thickly studded with these Ducks. In the severe 



1 A Duck "so-called because she feeds upon Scaup, i.e., broken 

 shel-fish," as may be seen in Willughby's Ornithology (p. 365) ; but it 

 would be more proper to say that the name comes from the " Mussel- 

 scaups" or " Mussel-scalps," the beds of rock or sand on which mussels 

 (Mytilus edulis, and other species) are aggregated" (Newton). 



