BIRDS 291 



season. For example, a small party of Scaups visited Silloth 

 in August 1887; in 1888 another small flock, consisting of 

 nine, appeared there on July 26, and a male was shot on the 

 6th of August. In 1889, a single male was shot near Silloth, 

 September 5th ; in 1890 Mr. T. Mann and Mr. A. Wilson saw 

 three Scaups at the Grune Point on July 14th. Very likely 

 these birds had passed the summer on the Solway. In any 

 case the dates of the presence just given are exceptional. We 

 saw a couple of Scaups near Skinburness on the 21st of 

 September 1889 ; but this species usually makes its appearance 

 about a month later, and then principally in small parties, 

 which gradually collect together. They feed largely on cockles 

 and mussels. In Morecambe Bay the bird is sometimes called 

 the ' Cockleduck,' though the name commonly applied to the 

 Scaup in that locality is the 'Blue Bill.' They especially 

 frequent ' Cartmell Whars,' and can usually be procured by 

 punt -gunners during the winter. I have never seen the 

 Scaup fraternising with any species except the Tufted Duck and 

 Common Scoter. Mr. Durnford records that a Scaup, which 

 a friend of his wounded on the reservoir at Barrow in December 

 1876, not only remained there on the following April, but also 

 fraternised with some tame ducks, though always careful to 

 roost on an island by itself. 1 The fowlers of the Flookburgh 

 and Cark district obtain a few Scaups in their 'ducker nets' 

 every season. Punt gunners consider them easy birds to work 

 up to. Bryson once killed eighteen Scaups on the Esk with 

 his big gun. They do not, however, often give the fowler a 

 chance of making a very big bag, because if pressed they 

 separate a few yards ; a man may work his punt up to them, 

 and have the ducks swimming all around him, and yet fail to 

 make a lucky shot. They have very little natural dread of 

 sailing boats ; but after a few days' hard shooting among the 

 Scottish Solway fishermen, who often enter our English waters, 

 the birds rapidly become demoralised and rise wild. Their 

 habits vary with the locality and season ; but they feed most 

 during the morning hours, especially the early hours, and then 

 spend the afternoon in floating restfully among the sand-banks, 

 i Zoologist, 1877, p. 276. 



