OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 427 



Jamaica. It is a rare straggler to Greenland and the Faroes, and has occurred 

 on the coasts of Heligoland, Scandinavia, Germany and France, and inland as 

 far as Switzerland. 



Allied forms. — None of sufficient propinquity to call for notice. 



Habits.— The migrations and habits of this Nearctic Scoter very closely 

 resemble those of the preceding species. Its grand summer quarters are in the 

 Arctic and Subarctic regions of British North America. From the most northerly 

 of these it begins to retire early in September, and as the autumn and winter 

 advance it slowly works south, not only along the coast, but across country by 

 way of the great lakes and river valleys, as it appears to be as much at home 

 on inland waters, so long as they are open, as the sea. In April it begins to 

 migrate north again, and reaches its highest Arctic haunts as the ice is breaking 

 up, and summer is bursting with startling suddenness over the wild, lone land. 

 It is just as gregarious as its allies, not only on migration and in winter, but in 

 summer also ; for as soon as the females have scattered up and down the 

 breeding grounds and gone to nest, the males flock once more, and apparently 

 keep gregarious until the following spring. The flight of the Surf. Scoter is 

 strong and rapid, but the bird is said to rise with difficulty from the water. It 

 is an expert and rapid diver, keeps principally to the water, where it swims 

 equally well, and ever seeks to evade pursuit by diving out of reach of its 

 enemies. It is not much of a land bird, and walks in a clumsy, waddling 

 manner. The note of this bird is not known to differ from that of its allies, and 

 the female is said to utter a hoarse cry as she rises startled from the nest. As is 

 the case with both the other British Scoters, but more especially with the 

 Common Scoter, many immature and non-breeding birds stay behind in their 

 winter quarters, where they keep in large flocks. The food of the Surf Scoter, 

 obtained almost entirely by diving, consists of mollusks, crustaceans, and small 

 fish. It is not known whether this bird is a vegetable feeder in summer; but 

 there can be little doubt that to a certain extent this is the case. Great flocks 

 of this bird almost blacken the sea, and look like mud-banks in the distance, 

 congregating in certain favoured haunts during winter, often in company with 

 other Ducks, but as its flesh is fishy and unpalatable it is not much sought after 

 by American sportsmen, by whom it is known in some districts as " Surf Coot," 

 " Spectacled Coot," or " Skunk-headed Coot." 



Nidification. — The favourite breeding grounds of the Surf Scoter are the 

 lake-studded northern tundras, and the banks of the winding rivers that join 

 them into a more or less swampy paradise for aquatic birds. It is a late 

 breeder, like its allies, laying towards the end of June or early in July. The 

 nest is made near the water, in many cases amongst scrub and coarse vegetation ; 

 but MacFarlane found one concealed under the drooping lower branches of a 



