On Sea and Shore. 233 



as the English Channel, in which it has at least one 

 known nesting station. None of these birds are 

 known to breed anywhere along the east coast of 

 England or Scotland. The typical Petrels may be 

 readily identified by the sooty-black plumage, re- 

 lieved by a patch of white across the rump and the 

 upper tail-coverts. These small Petrels rarely alight 

 upon the sea to swim notwithstanding their webbed 

 feet. They flutter often close to the big waves, and 

 may then be seen to drop their legs downwards and 

 to pat the water with their feet, seeming sometimes 

 literally to run down the glassy surface of some huge 

 roller. We shall have occasion to enter into more 

 details respecting all these Petrels in the following 

 chapter. 



Then during the wild winter months many parts 

 of the sea off the northern shires teem with bird- 

 life, much of it consisting of migrants from the arctic 

 regions. Vast flocks of Scaups and Scoters hang 

 about these northern waters; companies of Eiders 

 and Long-tailed Ducks especially may be met with 

 long distances from land. Flocks of Scoters may 

 occasionally be seen upon these waters all the 

 summer through, and we have heard of Pink-footed 

 Geese also apparently foregoing their usual summer 

 journey to the north. In mid-winter large flocks of 

 Sheldrakes frequent various parts of the North Sea, 

 whilst Wigeon and Mallard often occur in enormous 



