﻿BLACK SCOTER. 119 



numbers of intermediate ages, and the females, follow soon 

 after ; thus the larger flights arrive in September and October. 

 By the latter end of March and the beginning of April, the 

 northern migration takes place. The Black Scoter is so 

 exclusively partial to the sea, that it chooses lakes, ponds and 

 bogs, in the immediate vicinity, for the purposes of breeding, 

 and returns again to the sea as soon as its young ones are 

 ready to swim after it. 



The food of this bird consists in Crustacea, bivalves, 

 mollusca, and other marine animals and insects ; to obtain 

 which it is constantly diving. 



It is remarkable how loner the Black Scoter can remain 

 under water in pursuit of its prey ; and this fact is well known 

 to the fishermen upon the coast of France, who, placing 

 their nets horizontally, from two to three feet above the 

 beds of shell-fish, to which these birds resort, catch, by 

 that means, great numbers for the tables of the good 

 Catholics, who are taught to consider the Scoter to be 

 sufficiently allied to the fishy tribes to constitute proper food 

 for fast-days. 



The breeding-places of the Black Scoter are the high 

 northern latitudes within the Arctic circle. In Lapland, 

 Finland, and the northern parts of Russia, great numbers are 

 multiplied ; the nest is placed on the border of some fresh 

 water in the most unfrequented situations, and placed under 

 the shelter of a willow or birch, or tuft of vegetation, or 

 among stones ; it is composed of dried stalks and leaves, and 

 interwoven with small osier-boughs, &c. 



By the beginning of June nine or ten eggs may be found 

 in such a nest, in shape, size, and colour, as represented in 

 our Plate. The male bird leaves the entire care of the eggs 

 and young brood to the female, and returns to the sea to 



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