INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 5 
speed. On land they are perhaps even more awkward than on the water 
in commencing to fly, and it must be, indeed, severe pressure which can 
induce them to change their slow waddle into a quicker shufile. They 
have the repute of being not wild birds and of being fairly easy of approach 
on the water and, when hard pressed, of frequently preferring to attempt 
escape by diving rather than by taking to flight. So great, however, 
are their diving powers that they are perhaps as difficult to bring to 
bag as are the wilder birds which more quickly take to wing. Wounded 
only itis as likely as not that the bird may escape, as it is almost 
impossible to follow its movements ; and when it does appear on the 
surface it again disappears with such rapidity that it takes a gunner of 
some smartness to get a shot at it and finish it off. The food of the 
Scaup is everywhere chiefly of an animal character. .Inland doubtless 
it feeds to a certain extent on water-weeds, etc., these being mainly 
such as grow at some depth and are obtained by diving; but even here 
shell-fish, frogs, insects, etc., form the greater part of its diet. When 
in its natural element on the sea, in creeks and estuaries or along the 
coast, it is almost an entirely animal feeder, subsisting on sheli-fish, 
small fish and other marie small life. 
Its name is derived from its habit of feeding on mussels, the beds on 
which the masses of shell-fish lie being known as mussel scaups or 
mussel scalps (Blanford and Newton), and in Norfolk I have heard both 
fresh and salt water mussels called scaups, though the term is usually 
applied more to the latter than the former. Hume, quoting Montague, 
says that “ Both the male and the female have a peculiar habit of tossing 
up their heads and opening their bills, which in spring is continued for 
a considerable time, while they are swimming and sporting on the 
water, and they emit a grunting sort of cry.” 
Its flesh, as might be expected, is quite unfit, as a rule, for the table, 
and the most flattering terms [ have known applied to it are Macgilliy- 
ray’s to the effect that “Itis not thought much of for the table, its 
flesh being rather rank.” 
The Scaup is one of the most northern breeding of ducks, having 
been observed breeding, as already noted, at least as far north as Lat. 
70°. As to its breeding within Indian limits, this, in spite of Hume’s 
young bird being caught in Kashmir, is most unlikely ever to be 
found to be the case. 
