376 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



a large white patch before and a smaller one behind eye, and in 

 both sexes feet are orange -red which show as birds dive. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on tundra and near lakes inland. 

 Nest. — Sometimes deep in cracks in peat, at other times in marshes 

 sheltered by grass tussocks or bushes, lined with dark brown down 

 with indistinct pale centres (feathers from nest see Brit. Birds, n, 

 PI. 2). Eggs. — 5 to 8, occasionally 9 to 11, creamy- white. Average 

 of 130 eggs, 71.1x48.2. Max.: 77x48.5 and 71.2x51.5. Min. : 

 64.3 x 46.9 and 68.3 x 44.8 mm. Breeding -season. — From mid- June 

 onwards. Incubation. — By female. Period unknown. Single 

 brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly marine mollusca, including Mytilus edulis (com- 

 monly), Solen, Buccinum, Cardium, Mactra, Tellina and Donax ; 

 also Crustacea (small crabs, etc.) and according to Naumann, on 

 freshwater also insects, worms, small fish, and tubers, buds, roots, 

 etc., of water-plants and water-snails. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Passage-migrant and winter-visitor 

 (mid-Sept.-mid-Oct. to end April-end May). Regular, but not 

 abundant, east coast Great Britain, not infrequent south coast, 

 scarce western side. Common Orkneys, but rare Shetlands and 

 uncommon O. Hebrides. Rare visitor Ireland. Very i are vagrant 

 inland waters. Said to have nested Scotland, but no proof. Some 

 individuals stay throughout summer. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Scandinavia, Finland, Lap- 

 land, north Russia, Novaya Zemlia, Siberia eastwards to Yenisei. 

 In winter south to Switzerland, temperate Europe generally, Spain 

 and Marocco, Mediterranean, Egypt, N. Persia, and Turkestan. 

 Casual Faeroes and Greenland. Replaced by allied races in eastern 

 Siberia and N". America. 



OIDEMIA PERSPICILLATA 



324. Oidemia perspicillata (L.)— THE SURF-SCOTER. 



Anas perspicillata Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 125 (1758 — Canaca). 

 (Edemia perspicillata (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 481 ; Saunders, p. 469. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Upper-parts black with dull 

 greenish gloss on hinder-crown ; white patch across fore-head 

 from eye to eye reaching forward beyond lateral base of bill ; white 

 line below eye, not always present ; long triangula -shaped patch 

 of white on centre of nape, apex pointing towards mantle ; this 

 patch thickly intermixed with short black feathers completely 

 concealed by long white ones ; chin, throat and fore -neck brown- 

 black ; feathers of lower-breast, belly and vent tipped black, with 

 ill-concealed drab-brown bases ; rest of under-parts black ; axil- 

 laries brown ; under wing-coverts same, more or less tipped black, 

 those covering primaries ash-grey edged brown ; tail-feathers black 

 or black-brown ; primaries and their coverts and secondaries 



