452 



SCAUP DUCK. 



SCAPULARS. — * Those feathers which arise from the shoulders 

 and cover the sides of the back.* 



SCARF and SCART. — Names for the Shag- and the Cormorant. 

 SCAURIE. — A name for the Herring- Gull. 

 SCAUP DUCK (Nyroca marila, Fleming.) 



Anas Marila, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 196. 8 Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 509. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 



2. p. 853. 54. — Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 865 — Glaucium minus striatum, 



Briss. 6. p. 416. 26. A lb. 8vo. 2. p. 470.— Fuligula Gesneri, Raii, Syn. p. 



142. A. 6. — Will. p. 279. — Anas fraenata, Sparmann mus carls. 2. p. 38. female. 



Scaup Duck, Br. Zool. 2. No. 275. t. 100 lb. fol. p. 153. t. Q Arct. Zool. 2. 



No. 498.— Lath. Syn. 6. p. 500. 49 Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 20. — Wale. Syn. 



1. t. QQ.—Lewin's Br. Birds, 7. t, 250.— Wils. Amer. Orn. 8. pi, 69. 3.— F/em. 

 Br. Anim. p. 122.— Linn. Trans. 4. p. 128.. pi. 14. (Trachea.) 



Provincial. — Spoonbill Duck. 



The length of this species is about twenty-one inches ; weight 

 sometimes as much as thirty-five ounces ; the bill is broad, and not so 

 much compressed as usual in this g-enus ; colour bluish-lead ; nail black ; 

 irides light gold-colour; the head and upper part of the neck black, 

 g-lossed with green, and, from being well clothed with feathers, appears 

 large ; the lower part of the neck and breast black ; back and scapulars 

 pale grey, undulated with innumerable small transverse lines of black ; 

 the wing coverts the same, but minutely small ; lower part of the back, 

 rump, and vent, black ; the primores are dusky, lightest on their inner 

 webs, and black at the ends ; the secondary quills, except a few next 

 the body, are white tipped with black, forming a broad bar of white 

 across the wing ; the under part of the body is white, sprinkled between 

 the thighs with dusky ; the tail is composed of dusky-black feathers ; 

 legs lead-colour. In some we have seen, the white in the wing is edged 

 with rust-colour : it is also subject to other varieties. 



The Scaup Duck is not uncommon in most parts of this kingdom 

 in winter, and is frequently found in fresh waters. It is supposed to 

 take its name from feeding on broken shells called scaup. This, like 

 most of the genus, breeds in the more northern parts ; is common in 

 Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Lapland ; and is found at Hudson's Bay 

 in the warmer months. 



* The male and female make the same grunting noise, and both have 

 the same singular toss of the head, with an opening of the bill, while 

 sporting on the water in spring. This peculiar gesture would be suffi- 

 cient to identify the species, were all other distinctions wanting. 



During the summer months, when the larvce of various insects are 

 to be found in the mud at the bottom of the pond, these birds are con- 

 tinually diving; but they are - perfectly contented with barley, and 

 become so tame as to come to the edge of the water for a bit of bread. 



