HABITS AND MIGRATIONS OF WILDFOWL. 13 



Brent Geese never alight above high-water mark during the 

 period they are on our shores during winter. 



The Eider, or, as he is locally termed " Culver " duck, is 

 perhaps the most characteristic sea duck we have in Northum- 

 berland. He is with us all the year round, breeding freely on 

 the Fame Islands, and sparselj' on the mainland. On October 

 27th, this year, I observed a most extraordinary feat performed 

 by Eiders. Four of them, all dark-coloured young birds of the 

 year, were feeding along the edges of a basaltic reef thickly over- 

 grown with sea-tangles, and here they were working havoc among 

 the dog-crabs and other small shell-fish. We ran down on them, 

 thinking they might be Scaups. When within gunshot they rose, 

 and, being in a narrow bight of the sea, they had to head round, 

 so as to pass us broadside on within twenty yards. I fired at the 

 leading bird, and, to my surprise, all four went headlong into the 

 sea from a height of perhaps twenty feet. At first, I wondered, 

 could I have killed them all with the one shot ? Presently one 

 bird came up dead, but the other three had dived from the wing 

 on the instant they perceived the real danger, nor did they come 

 up again till well out of shot, when they immediately took wiug 

 and escaped ! 



The Sheldrake {Tadorna vulpanser) is resident in Northum- 

 berland, breeding on the sandlinks along the coast. They 

 frequent the slakes, sandbanks, and mud-flats, as well as 

 the open sea. During August the old duck brings her brood 

 into the harbour, and if pursued they dive freely, but as soon as 

 the young are full-grown they always take wing when pursued, in 

 preference to diving. Yarrell states that the legs of the young 

 bird in August are "flesh-colour": all I have seen at that 

 season of the year have been lead-coloured. 



In 1886, up to October 27th, I had seen no Long-tailed 

 Ducks [Harelda glacialis), though by this date they may be 

 expected to appear. They are essentiall}' sea-ducks, and, 

 I think, never come inside the harbour either by night or by 

 day. In very rough weather Common Scoters {(Edemia nigra) 

 will sometimes venture inside, but this is unusual, and their 

 regular haunts are the open sea, just to seaward of the foreshore 

 breakers. 



I have never seen either the Pintail {Dafila acuta) or the 

 Tufted duck {Fuligula cristata), on the coast, but the Shoveller 



