Periodical 
visitant. 
Food. 
330 NATATORES. OIDEMIA. Scorer. 
Dourinc the winter, and till the season of spring is tolerably 
well advanced, the Scoter is to be found upon our shores, 
frequenting more particularly those which are of rocky cha- 
racter, and which of course abound most in crustacea, bivalve, 
mollusca, and other small marine animals, upon which it 
entirely subsists. To obtain these it is in the constant habit 
of diving, and is able to remain submerged for a considerable 
time ; but as this can only be efficacious in water of a certain 
depth, it approaches at every flow of the tide rather near to 
the shore, at least where the depth does not exceed a few 
fathoms, swimming with ease amidst the heaviest surf, and 
pursuing its diving investigations with unwearied diligence. 
In France, where an accommodating creed has allowed the 
Scoter, and its congener the Velvet Scoter, to rank as fish, 
and of course to be eaten on fast days, advantage has been 
taken of their habits by the fishermen on those coasts, who, 
at the ebb, spread their nets horizontally about two or three 
feet above the beds of shell-fish, which these birds are ob- ~ 
served most to haunt. Upon the return of the tide the 
Scoters approach in great numbers, and, diving for their 
food, become entangled in the meshes of the floating nets ; 
and in this way it is said that twenty or thirty dozens have 
been taken in a single tide. In this country they are uni- 
versally rejected as food for the very qualities that render 
them acceptable to our neighbours, viz. the oiliess and fishy 
flavour of the flesh, and consequently no attempts are made 
to take them, though there is little doubt but that they might 
be caught with equal ease, and in as great numbers on some 
parts of our coast. The flight of the Scoter is straight and 
tolerably rapid, but near the surface of the water, and sel- 
dom to any great distance at a time. Its wings are rather 
short and concave (like the typical Natatores), and the first 
quill is strongly notched at about half its length, the remain- 
ing part to the tip beg very narrow. This circumstance, 
as well as the proportionate shortness of that to the other 
quills, as compared with Oid. fusca and Oid. perspicillata, 
