626 HARELDACEDEMIA 



Hob. The high northern portions of Europe, Asia, and 

 America, visiting the coasts of continental Europe, and the 

 British Islands in winter, and has been obtained in Italy : 

 Asia, in winter, south to Japan, and in North America to South 

 Carolina. 



In the winter season it frequents the sea-coasts and is very 

 hardy, only seeking sheltered places during very severe weather. 

 It dives extremely well, and seeks its food chiefly under water, 

 feeding on small shell-fish. It is a very noisy bird, its peculiar 

 gabbling cry being uttered incessantly. It breeds in the high 

 north, chiefly within the Arctic Circle, its nest being placed on 

 the ground, usually under a bush near the margin of a lake r 

 and the eggs 6 to 8 in number are usually deposited late in 

 June or early in July, and are greyish buff with a faint greenish 

 tinge, and measure about 2'17 by 1*51. 



(EDEMIA, Fleming, 1822. 

 867. VELVET SCOTER. 

 CEDEMIA FUSCA. 



(Edemiafusca (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 196 (1766); (Naum.) xii. p. 123 

 Taf. 313 ; (Hewitson), ii. p. 419, pi. cxvi. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. 

 v. pi. 377 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 29 ; Dresser, vi. p. 657, pi. 448 . 

 Salvador!, Cat. B. Br, Mas. xxvii. p. 406; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. (X 

 p. 1183; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 250; Saunders, p. 467; 

 Lilford, vii. p. 133, pi. 56. 



Grande Macreuse, French ; Orclw-marino, Ital. ; Sammetente, 

 German ; Groote Zeeeend, Dutch ; Floielsand, Dan. ; Sjo-orrc, 

 Norweg. ; Svdrta, Swed. ; Skoarra, Lapp. ; Pilkasiipi, Finn. ; 

 Kuro-tori, Jap. 



ad. (Sweden). Entire plumage deep glossy black, the under parts 

 rather duller ; a small patch below the eye and the speculum white ; bill 

 broad, swollen over the nostrils, this portion and the margin of the bill 

 black, the rest orange-yellow ; legs pinkish red ; iris brown. Gape 2'6 r 

 wing 10'7, tail 3'5, tarsus T8 inch. The female has the head, neck, and 

 upper parts blackish brown, the latter with pale margins ; under parta 

 brighter brown marked with dull white ; a large dull white patch in 

 front of and a smaller one behind the eye ; bill blackish plumbeous, less 

 swollen than in the male. 



Hob. Northern Europe north to Lapland; not found in 

 Iceland, and only once in Greenland ; in winter migrating south 

 to the Mediterranean and Caspian ; North Asia east to the 

 Yenesei, and also recorded from eastern Siberia and Japan ; 



