The Common Scoter. '^^ 



black about the neck and breast; two white bars on the wing. Both the male 



and female are excellently illustrated by Mr. A. Thorburn, in Lord Lilford's 

 " Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands," 



Family -ANA TIDiE. 



Common Scoter. 



CEdemia ?iigra, LiNN. 



THE Common Scoter, or Black Duck, is an exceedingly plentiful species on 

 the whole of the Atlantic seaboard of Europe, but scarce in the Mediter- 

 ranean. It is also abundant in some parts of Western Asia. 



Great numbers, presumably non-breeders, remain off the coasts of the North 

 Sea throughout the summer months. Some years since, on the 20th of June, for 

 many miles between Dunkirk and Ostend, and on the Dutch coast, with a strong 

 north wind and heavy sea, I passed through immense numbers of these Ducks, 

 the sea in every direction, as far as could be seen from the bridge of the steam- 

 boat, being covered with their vast flocks. The wind had been blowing heavily 

 from the north for some days. 



The Common Scoter is a very ' numerous species on the Lincolnshire coast in 

 the winter, and the breeding portion of the community are late in leaving in the 

 spring. I have seen them in the first week of May, off the Humber, in flocks of 

 adult males and females swimming in pairs, and in some years quite up to the 

 end of the month ; these are birds going northward to breed, and have no 

 reference to the many left behind, changing from the immature dress during the 

 summer to one resembling the adult. At first, early in the year, we see them 

 with the grey cheeks and throat of the first plumage,* and the under parts more 



* Young males begin to assume the black dress in January and February.— H.A.M. 

 Vol IV 2 G 



