567 



rocky skerry at the river's mouth, knowing I was sure of a shot. Sometimes in very hard 

 winters the flocks of Scaup Ducks are large ; but usually the birds live in small groups, occa- 

 sionally mixing with Golden-eyes and Scoters. On the Outer Hebrides a few frequent the 

 oozy shores between North Uist and Benbecula on both sides, from the Isle of Gremsay on the 

 east, of JBaleshare on the west. Late in autumn these small parties are seen there at nightfall 

 dabbling in the mud left bare by the tide ; and they usually remain in the neighbourhood of 

 this well-known ford throughout the winter. In very stormy weather they appear to seek 

 shelter in the Sound of Harris, where a stray bird occasionally falls to the gun by accident, the 

 species being notorious for the rankness of its flesh, and consequently not in request. Mr. J. 

 Macdonald informs me that in the dusk of evening, when one kind of bird is hardly distin- 

 guishable from another, he knocks over a Scaup at times instead of a Mallard, but that its 

 numbers are comparatively small, the birds only coming in his way when continued bad weather 

 forces them into the sound. 



" Mr. Graham states that this species is a regular winter visitant to Iona and the shores of 

 Mull, and that it is often killed near the coast in fresh water. It is likewise seen occasionally 

 on the shores of Islay. 



" Scaup Ducks appear to linger through the summer in some parts of Scotland. One 

 instance is given by Sir William Jardine, who shot a female bird near Loch Erribol, in Suther- 

 landshire ; and Dr. Saxby states that it is occasionally observed in summer in the Shetlands." 

 Dr. Saxby, speaking of the occurrence of the Scaup in Shetland, says (B. of Shetl. p. 255) : — 

 " It is not easy to determine the exact times of the arrival and departure of this species. From 

 October to April one or two appear suddenly upon some particular part of the coast, and often 

 as suddenly withdraw ; yet they not unfrequently remain in some favourable locality for several 

 weeks at a time. Deep, quiet voes are very attractive ; and there is perhaps scarcely one such 

 voe in Shetland that is not visited at least once in a season, even though by very small numbers 

 at a time. The largest number I ever saw in one day was five, and they kept far apart. Baltic 

 Sound, in Unst, and Basta Voe, in Yell, each running inland for about three miles, and abounding 

 with various mollusca, are, perhaps, as frequently visited by the oceanic Ducks as any similar 

 localities throughout the islands." 



In Ireland, according to Thompson, the Scaup is a regular winter visitant to the coast, and 

 is the most plentiful of the Fuligulce. It usually arrives in September, sometimes at the end of 

 August ; and a few sometimes remain as late as April and May. 



In Greenland the Scaup is of rare occurrence. Professor Newton says that Dr. Walker of 

 the ' Fox,' B.Y.S., obtained one at Godhavn in August 1857, and three were sent from Nenortalik 

 in 1859. In Iceland the Scaup is common, and, Faber says (Prodr. isl. Orn. p. 72), is the most 

 numerous of the water-fowl which breed at Myvatn. About the middle of March it arrives on 

 the freshwater ponds in the south of the island, and a month later it is seen on Myvatn. Early 

 in October flocks of this species are seen in the bays ; and by the end of October they have all 

 left. According to Captain Feilden it is common in the Fseroes in autumn and winter, and 

 occasionally a pair or two remain over the summer. He saw a single pair on a small lake in 

 Stromoe on the 20th of May, 1872. Throughout Scandinavia this Duck is tolerably common 

 during the breeding-season, and remains over winter in the southern districts. Mr. Collett says 



