454 



SEA HEN. 



first quill of equal length, or a little shorter than the second, which is 

 the longest in the wing.* 



SCOOPER.— A name for the Avoset. 



SCOPS EARED OWL.— A name for the Little Horned Owl. 

 SCOTER (Oidemia nigra, Fleming.) 



Anas nigra, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 196. 7 .—Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 508.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 

 p. 848. 43.— Ems. 6. p. 420. 28. t. 38. f. 2.— Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 471.— Temm. Man. 

 d'Orn. 2. p. 853. — Wils. Amer. Orn. 8. p. 135. 92. — Anas niger minor, llaii, 



Syn. p. 141. A. 5 Will. p. 280. t. 74.— Anas cinerea, Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 184. 



18. — Oidemia nigra, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 119. — La Macreuse, Buff. Ois. 9. p. 



234. t. 16.— Scoter, or Black Diver, Br. Zool.2. No. 273.— Ib. fol. 253 Arct. 



Zool. 2. No. 484.— Ib. Supp. p. 76. — Will. (Angl.) p. 366. t. 74.— Lath. Syn. 

 6. p. 480. 36.— Lewins Br. Birds, 7. t. 249.— Wale. Syn. 1. t. 59. 



Provincial. — Black Duck. Black Diver. 



This species weighs about three pounds ; length twenty-one inches ; 

 the base of the bill is furnished with a knob, which, with the bill, is 

 black, divided down the middle with a line of orange, which spreads 

 over half the bill after quitting the knob, but does not reach the tip by 

 half an inch ; darkest on the knob ; irides dusky ; eyelids yellow ; the 

 plumage is wholly black, glossy about the head and neck ; the legs and 

 feet dusky ; the tail is cuneiform, and consists of sixteen pointed fea- 

 thers ; feet long and broad. It is said the knob is in some of a red 

 colour, in others green. 



The female has no knob at the base of the bill ; the plumage more 

 dull, with sometimes a mixture of grey on the chin and breast ; both 

 sexes want the nail at the end of the bill, usual in this genus. 



These birds are great divers, and mostly reside at sea, distant from 

 shore ; they are only seen with us in the winter season, at which time they 

 are plentiful on some parts of the coast of France, where they are taken 

 by nets as they are diving after shell-fish, which seems to be their prin- 

 pal food. We received two taken by accident in the same manner off 

 the coast of South Wales. It is never observed to visit our rivers or 

 fresh-water lakes, but is found in great plenty in most of the northern 

 parts of the world, and particularly in the great lakes and rivers of 

 Siberia, where it probably breeds. 



SCOUT.— A name for the Willock. 



SCRABER.— A name for the Guillemot. 



SCREECH.— A name for the Missel Thrush. 



SCREECH MARTIN.— A name for the Swift. 



SCREECH OWL.— A name for the Barn Owl and the Tawny Owl. 



SEA CROW. — A name for the Cormorant. 



SEA DOTTEREL.— A name for the Turnstone. 



SEA HEN.— A name for the Willock. 



