"OLD KITTIWAKE." 189 



of migratory ducks and geese came to the bay, 

 aud prominent among the sea-ducks were 

 immense flocks of Scoters. Often from behind 

 an ooze bank did we watch parties of these 

 playing and chasing each other over the crests 

 of the waves ; they seemed indifferent to the 

 roughest sea. The coming of the Scoter 

 brought flush times to the fowler. Kittiwake 

 would not unfrequently take half a cart-load of 

 these black ducks in his nets in a single morning. 

 The birds feed upon mussels and soft bi- 

 valves, following the advancing tides shore- 

 ward in search of them. These facts Kittiwake 

 noted, and worked accordingly. He carefully 

 marked where the birds fed, saw their borings 

 and stray feathers, and then, when the tide 

 ebbed, spread his nets. These were fixed by 

 pegs at each corner, and raised about fifteen 

 inches above the sandbank. Returning to 

 feed with the tide, the ducks dived head-fore- 

 most into them, and became hopelessly fast. 

 Another of the sea-ducks, the Scaup, he took 

 in large numbers in the same way. Some- 

 times a lovely Velvet-Scoter, or rare Surf- 

 Scoter, would be among the spoil, but these 

 occurred at long intervals. So great were the 



