280 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
seaweed grows luxuriantly, and where they dive among the long 
waving tangles in search of the various shell-fish and their spawn, and 
the host of minute forms of marine life which abound in such places. 
Owing to this preference, their company is often confined all through 
the winter to certain localities,—usually about the harbour entrance, 
or a rocky bay adjoining the open’sea; hence they are less frequently 
met with than the Golden-eyes, which are scattered in odd pairs all 
over the sandy channels of the estuary. Moreover, such places as 
alluded to are not very accessible to punts; the water is too deep, and 
the long inward roll of the sea, even when smooth, is dangerous for 
these low-sided craft, to say nothing of the difficulty of using a big 
gun, when one moment half the fore-deck is buried in a great oily, 
sloping swell, and the next the gun points heavenwards, far over the 
heads of the fowl. I have taken a punt, in broad daylight, within 
forty yards of nice packs of Scaup in such situations, but never could 
work a shot to advantage for the above reasons. 
« Besides the places where, as above indicated, the main bodies of 
the resident Scaup Ducks take up their winter-quarters, one frequently 
meets with small bunches of half-a-dozen or so inside harbour, espe- 
cially about the ‘‘ scaps,” or mussel-beds (whence probably their name), 
and even on the edge of the ooze, where they occasionally vary their 
shell-fish diet with a feed of sea-grass. They always, however, keep 
afloat, or nearly so: it is very seldom one sees a Scaup or Golden-eye 
go on to dry land, nor (on the coast) have I ever heard either species 
utter a note. 
“Scaup are the tamest of all the Duck tribe, and—exactly the 
reverse of the Golden-eye—they continue throughout the winter as 
tame and as easily approached as when they first arrive in October. 
On seeing a pack of them, one can shove the punt close in upon them, 
and then, if scattered, can wait securely till they arrange themselves 
nicely to receive the charge. Scaup are also among the toughest of 
birds, and the most tenacious of life. At least half the cripples 
usually escape, and any that are captured alive it is all but impossible 
to kill. I have seen, when the bag was emptied on to the kitchen floor, 
a couple of Scaups, which had appeared as dead as door-nails, return 
to life and flutter vigorously round the room. Kvyen when killed, how- 
ever, they are of no value, being the strongest, nastiest, and most 
utterly uneatable Ducks I ever tried.” 
We are indebted to the publishers, Messrs Gurney and 
Jackson, for the reproduction of two of Mr. Chapman’s illustra- 
tions, selecting those which illustrate phases of plumage not 
figured and hardly noticed by previous writers on British Birds. 
eT es ae a 
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